Jules Kounde: Manchester City in talks for Sevilla defender, club deny bid for Jose Gimenez
City also deny making £78m bid for Atletico defender Jose Gimenez; Watch Man City vs Leicester on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm on Super Sunday with kick-off at 4.30pm
Thursday 24 September 2020 21:38, UK
Manchester City are in talks with Sevilla to sign Jules Kounde as they ramp up their search for a centre-back.
Signing a second centre-back after Nathan Ake is the club's priority before the October 5 deadline and the 21-year-old has emerged as the preferred target.
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City are also looking at other options should they be unable to agree a deal for the Frenchman - but Kounde's centre-back partner Diego Carlos is not one of them.
The club have also categorically denied placing a £78m bid for Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez, after Atletico Madrid's president claimed he had rejected an offer for the central defender.
Although Gimenez is someone of interest, City will not be paying a similar fee for a centre-back in this window.
Speaking to a Spanish sports radio programme, Enrique Cerezo said: "We did receive the offer, but Gimenez is a magnificent player and we are interested in having magnificent players in the team."
Any move for the 25-year-old Uruguay international would be further complicated by the fact that he tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, and is currently self-isolating.
Kalidou Koulibaly had been City's top target but his valuation has also remained too out of reach for City so far.
Earlier this month, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis claimed City were unwilling to speak to the Serie A club directly after the previous breakdown of a move for Jorginho in 2018.
The Italy international appeared to be on a brink of a move to the Etihad only for Napoli to make a last-minute U-turn and sell the player to Premier League rivals Chelsea instead.
Summer transfer window - key dates and times
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday October 5 with a feast of activity lined up on Transfer Deadline Day on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms.
A domestic-only window for deals between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on SSN and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
