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A golden opportunity for Manchester United to finally secure their long-term defensive target, Jules Kounde, is emerging.

Kounde has been on United’s radar since his Sevilla days. Yet it was Barcelona who won the race, prising him away from the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in the summer of 2022 for around £48 million.

Right move

At Camp Nou, Kounde’s quality and versatility saw him quickly establish himself as a permanent fixture in the Catalan giants’ line-up, rotating seamlessly between central defence and right-back.

His ability to blend elite athleticism with composure on the ball and tactical intelligence has elevated him into one of the world’s finest defenders. Unsurprisingly, his exploits in Catalonia have made it difficult for United to erase him from their transfer wishlist.

Under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils again attempted to bring him to Old Trafford, but they were unable to pull off a deal. Barcelona, at the time, were unwilling to let one of their best players leave so easily.

A big summer ahead for Kounde and Barcelona

While the Spanish champions have been resisting selling their defender, going so far as to offer him a new five-year deal last year,...