Manchester City have been made aware that they will have to pay upwards of £65million if they are to entice Jules Kounde from Sevilla to replace Nathan Ake, Vital Football have reported.
Chelsea are targeting the City centre-back as Thomas Tuchel looks to rebuild his defence after a number of summer departures. Ake is understood to be keen to return to his former club and has even agreed personal terms, but City are holding out for an offer they deem to be suitable.
City signed Ake from Bournemouth just two years ago, but in his two seasons at the Etihad the Dutch defender has failed to establish himself as a regular starter with Guardiola preferring to play Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte. The fact that Ake has another three years left on his current contract means City will be keen to recoup — if not turn a profit on — the £41m they paid for him in 2020.
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City will only sanction Ake's move to Chelsea if they can sign another centre-half and reports in Spain claim they are targeting Kounde. The French international, who has also been linked with Chelsea, is highly rated by Sevilla and he kept 15 clean sheets in 32 La Liga games last season.
Elsewhere, City also reportedly remain interested in RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol as a possible Ake replacement.
Gvardiol had a breakout season in the Bundesliga after both Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate left the club, giving him an opportunity to shine.
At just 20 years old, Gvardiol is seen as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe.
Finally, City are reportedly looking to sign Emilio Lawrence, with the 16-year-old becoming a free agent having not agreed a new deal with Everton.
Lawrence is a product of the Toffees' academy but hasn’t yet signed on as a scholar at Goodison Park. City would have to pay a fee under the Bosman ruling.
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