Barca wanted Koundé, but his release clause scared them off

It's no secret that Barcelona are looking for reinforcements for defence. The big favourite to arrive at Barca was Eric García from City. They didn't sign him in the winter market because they prefer for him to arrive for free in the summer.

But not only was Eric García on the agenda. According to 'Mundo Deportivo', Sevilla defender Jules Koundé was also on the table.

Koundé is liked a lot. The Catalan newspaper adds that Pau Torres, of Villarreal, was another of the defenders on the list.

However, Barca were forced to immediately cross off Jules Koundé. The reason? His price. His release clause is 75 million.

For that reason, Barcelona made no firm moves to try and even sign Koundé. They knew that Sevilla weren't going to gift him.

'Mundo Deportivo' says that Barca had been following Koundé for a while. They already followed him when he played at Bordeaux and that interest remained intact when he moved to Sevilla.

His contract at Sevilla runs until 2024. He is a defender very much to Koeman's liking, but under no circumstances do they intend to pay 75 million euros as the market stands.

A team that could sign him is Manchester United. The Red Devils have the centre-back on their list of priorities alongside Borussia Dortmund player Erling Haaland.