Manchester United to battle Chelsea for La Liga superstar - Reports

Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign Sevilla centre-back and Chelsea target Jules Kounde.

As per a report from Fichajes (via FourFourTwo), Raphael Varane's fitness could be a reason for Manchester United's interest in Kounde. Varane suffered a groin injury during France's UEFA Nations League final victory over Spain. The 28-year-old had to depart the field in the 43rd minute.

The Red Devils have since issued an official update on Varane's injury. It reads:

"Raphael Varane sustained a groin muscle injury in the UEFA Nations League final and has commenced rehabilitation at the club. He will be out for a few weeks."

The injury to Varane leaves Manchester United short-staffed in central defence. Club captain Harry Maguire is also injured, having picked up a calf injury during the Red Devils' 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on September 25. Maguire has since been on the sidelines, with no updates on his recovery as of yet.

Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly are the only first-team centre-backs currently available to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. While both are good defenders on their day, the duo have been plagued by injuries and inconsistency in recent times.

As a result, Manchester United could move for Jules Kounde in the winter transfer window. Although the Red Devils should have both Maguire and Varane back well before January, Kounde could offer them an extra option at the heart of defence.

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Manchester United target Jules Kounde almost joined Chelsea this summer

Chelsea were touted as one of the primary destinations for Jules Kounde during the recent summer transfer window. The Blues were huge admirers of the Sevilla defender and even sold Kurt Zouma to West Ham United in a bid to create space for him in their squad.

Manchester United, on the other hand, showed little interest in signing Kounde, choosing instead to sign his compatriot Varane.

Kounde, whose current deal with Sevilla runs until 2024, has a release clause of around £68.5 million built into his contract. However, both the Spanish club and Chelsea had agreed on a deal worth around £42 million for the defender.

Sevilla's director of football, Monchi, then reportedly made a U-turn on the agreement, requesting the Blues to pay Kounde's release clause.

The deal ultimately fell through, as Chelsea were reluctant to shell out in excess of £60 million for the 22-year-old's services.

Speaking about the saga on deadline day, Monchi said:

"The only offer from Chelsea for Kounde was last Wednesday (August 11) for an amount we didn't like. It was not enough for us. We responded with a counter-offer which had a deadline of Friday (August 20), to allow us to be able to sign a replacement. They did not respond to that counter-offer before Friday."

Ultimately, Chelsea chose not to go through with the move. They have instead promoted Trevoh Chalobah from their academy, with the youngster impressing so far. Kounde has also been good for Sevilla this season, making eight appearances and helping them to fourth place in La Liga.

However, the Blues have other problems. Star defender Antonio Rudiger's contract expires next summer, and talks of an extension have reportedly failed to reach an agreement so far. This could reinvigorate Chelsea's interest in signing Kounde from Sevilla.

If the Blues do choose to go after the Frenchman, they will face stiff competition from Manchester United.