Chelsea and Man Utd target Kounde risks Sevilla wrath after moment of madness

Robin Bairner

• 22 Dec 2021 03:31 CST
• 3 min read

Jules Kounde has been Sevilla’s golden boy in defence since arriving from Bordeaux in 2019, but the France international caught the headlines for the wrong reasons during Tuesday’s Primera Division clash with Barcelona.

Kounde has been a steady presence for Sevilla over the course of his two-year stay, to such an extent that he won a place in France’s squad for Euro 2020 and attracted attention from Europe’s biggest clubs.

Chelsea chased him intently towards the end of the summer transfer window but could not match Sevilla’s valuation of him, while Manchester United and Barcelona have also been linked with a possible move.

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The Blues and Man Utd will have been watching Tuesday’s clash at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan with particular interest to see how Kounde could cope with a big game.

Shortly after the hour mark, though, the 23-year-old his head and was sent off for just the second time in his career and the first since moving to Spain.

Having seen a ball out of play on the touchline, he was given a cheeky nudge by Barca defender Jordi Alba. Kounde reacted by picking up the ball and throwing it square in the Spaniard’s face. It was a blatant action and a clear red card.

In the event, Sevilla held out to secure a 1-1 draw but missed out on the chance to close to within three points of leaders Real Madrid.

Will this affect Kounde’s Sevilla future?

While this was an ill-advised moment from Kounde, it is unlikely to change Sevilla's transfer stance.

Indeed, while it was a moment that will inevitably attract headlines, it was entirely out of character – Kounde had only been booked five times in his previous 50 league matches.

Sevilla will not budge from their demand that suitors meet Kounde’s buyout clause, which means that Chelsea, Man Utd or Barcelona will need to spend €80m in order to purchase him.