Bayern Munich ready to rival Barcelona for highly-rated La Liga centre-back

Bayern Munich have dominated the headlines in the transfer market over their pursuit of a new centre-back this summer.

They have been highly linked with a move for Matthijs de Ligt, who is believed to be a huge fan of the Bavarians. But if the Dutchman was not enough, the club are also keeping tabs on Barcelona target Jules Kounde, as per reports from Diario SPORT.

Regarded as one of the most gifted centre-backs in Europe, Kounde is Xavi’s desired choice in his bid to find a long-term replacement for Gerard Pique.

Although Barça have recently announced the signing of Andreas Christensen, the club want to bring in another top-quality defender, in light of Pique’s injury woes along with the likely exit of Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet.

Unfortunately for Barcelona, Bayern, too, are in the market for a centre-back as they look to find a replacement for Niklas Sule.

The Bavarians are also far from impressed by the performances of Dayot Upamecano and Tanguy Nianzou, thus accentuating the need for a reliable central defender.

Jules Kounde fits the bill well, as the Frenchman is a technically gifted centre-back, who should fit in seamlessly in Julian Nagelsmann’s tactics at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern’s interference in the Kounde deal does not bode well for Barcelona, who have been looking for an agreement with Sevilla for a long time now.

But in a positive for the Catalans, it appears unlikely Bayern Munich will splash anywhere near Kounde’s €65 million valuation, having already spent a fortune on Sadio Mane. They are yet to sanction the sale of Robert Lewandowski either, despite the best efforts from Barcelona.

Lewandowski’s sale should play a key role in helping Bayern balance the books ahead of the new season. And without the Pole leaving the club, the German Rekordmeister are unlikely to be in a position to afford either de Ligt or Kounde this summer.