Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, revealed that Manchester City inquired about a Barça player in an attempt to sign him during the summer transfer window.
City and Barcelona enjoy a strong administrative relationship, which has led to numerous deals between them, the most recent of which was Ilkay Gundogan two years ago.
According to Deco, City officials inquired about Barcelona’s willingness to sell right-back Jules Kounde, but Deco immediately responded that the French star was untouchable.
City’s interest in Kounde in particular is understandable, as Pep Guardiola was looking for dual support at right-back and center-back, two positions in which the Barça star excels and has excelled in recent years.
Although City were willing to pay a substantial sum to sign Kounde, Barcelona’s management insisted on keeping the former Sevilla defender, considering him irreplaceable and indispensable to Hansi Flick’s squad.
According to Deco, once City’s management was informed that the matter was not up for discussion, the idea was completely dropped, and there were no further attempts to negotiate or discuss the matter.
Days later, Barcelona decided to reward Kounde for his outstanding performances last season, offering him a new, higher-paying contract that would keep him at Camp Nou until the summer of 2030.
