Sevilla are expecting Manchester City to return with a bid for defender Jules Koundé in the ‘next few hours’ and improve upon their first offer.
City are on the hunt for another centre back despite completing a deal for Bournemouth’s Nathan Aké early in the transfer window.
They have shopped around Europe in that hunt, first setting their sights on Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.
However, that proved too expensive and too difficult to get over the line, and they have now turned their attention to Koundé instead.
Reports over the last week had indicated that they would push to make a move happen before the end of the window and it was even claimed today that Manchester City chief Txiki Begiristain is ‘in love’ with the centre back.
AS have now added to that, stating that Sevilla are aware that City are keen on the defender and have made him an ‘important financial proposal’ which is up to five times more than he currently earns.
Thus, they have accepted it will be difficult for them to keep him but at the same time will not be offering big discounts.
They ‘could let him go’ for an amount closer to €70m, having already rejected an offer worth €50m plus €5m in variables from City.
Whether Manchester City will go that high isn’t mentioned, but AS do say that Sevilla’s belief is that they ‘won’t stop’ at their first offer.
In short, it’s all about money. If City offer the right amount, Sevilla will sell and then reinvest the money in the squad, a trick Monchi has become quite adept at. The Citizens are yet to do that, though, so this may rumble on right until deadline day.
