Chelsea and Manchester United are on a quest to level up at the back - and they could do far worse than Sevilla's Jules Kounde, the talented French defender whom both clubs are currently in the hunt for.
The Blues have made the first move for the 22-year-old centre back, with Kurt Zouma being discussed as a makeweight in the deal, but it won't be an easy transfer to complete with the LaLiga side keen to have his £68.4million release clause paid.
Kounde has been one of the standout defenders in the Spanish top flight for the last two years and also featured in the France squad at Euro 2020 this summer. A move to the Premier League will take his profile up another notch but there will be two things he'll want to prioritise - regular action and Champions League football.
Sevilla and France defender Jules Kounde could be off to the Premier League this summer
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel (left) and United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are both keen
Both the Blues and the Red Devils can promise the latter, but it's fair to say his chance of minutes at United is not guaranteed with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also on the verge of signing his countryman and Real Madrid star Raphael Varane.
So heading to Old Trafford would give himself a challenge as he would have to compete alongside Varane and skipper Harry Maguire. Solskjaer usually deploys a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 but has played with a back three in the past, so Kounde's signing could force him to switch up his system.
He has all the hallmarks of a Man United defender - strong and confident on the ball while also being tenacious in the tackle, while his versatility will be another factor Solskjaer is after.
He can play comfortably at right back too, making him an option to come in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka if needed.
The centre-back has all the hallmarks of a United defender, including his strength and tenacity
Kounde is mainly comfortable on the right side of a centre-back pairing playing for Sevilla, as evidenced by this SofaScore graphic from his 2020-21 season at the Spanish side
What's clear is that United are in desperate need of stronger depth in defence, with fans often frustrated with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly - who both started the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal in the summer.
United have lacked a duo of world-class centre-backs since the days of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, and while signing Kounde isn't an absolute must, it would present Solskjaer with three top-tier options with Varane set to arrive too.
Forgotten defender Phil Jones is reportedly set to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer this summer, which would clear up some space on the wage bill for arrivals.
He would have to battle with Raphael Varane (left) and Harry Maguire for a place in the team
The Red Devils are hoping to become a complete force next season and challenge for the Premier League title, with Dortmund's Jadon Sancho coming in to bolster the attack - and Kounde would certainly add to the threat going forward due to his ability to play out from the back and pick out team-mates with diagonal long passes.
But United will have to engage in a tug of war with Chelsea if they are serious about snapping up Kounde, and the Blues appear particularly keen to add him to their ranks at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have already begun a dialogue with Sevilla, whereas the player is merely on United's shortlist for now, with officials holding reservations about his smaller frame at 5ft 11in.
