In the second half of his interview with Mundo Deportivo, Deco confirmed that Manchester City enquired about Jules Koundé this summer, an interest that was publicized in July.
The French defender is highly regarded both by Barça’s sporting director and coach Hansi Flick. Not only by them. Koundé’s impressive season with Barcelona, which featured a key goal against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, garnered interest from a number of major clubs.
One of them was Manchester City, which went so far as to question Barça directly about him. Furthermore, the Catalan club made it obvious that they had no intention of selling, and Koundé himself was open to renewing his contract, which was slated to expire in 2027.
Indeed, in the middle of the transfer window, the Frenchman signed a contract extension until 2030, indicating that both player and club were anxious to solidify their commitment as soon as possible for whatever reason.
Man City move for top-class Barcelona star confirmed by Deco
When asked about City’s interest in the 26-year-old ahead of his new contract in August, Deco replied, “Wanting to sign is highly subjective. There wasn’t an offer.
“The only thing I know is that City, who now have Hugo Viana and previously had Txiki (Begiristain), were seeking for a full-back, and of course they asked us whether Kounde was available.” And we said no. “There was no offer, nor was there any bargaining.
It’s like if I knew a sporting director at a club and called them to ask why we were looking for that position and if you think or are considering whether it’s for sale.
While City did not sign Kounde, the close friendship between Deco and Viana suggests that more deals between the two teams may be finalized in the future.
Other Barcelona players associated with City in the past year include Pedri, Gavi, Fermin Lopez, and Dani Olmo. Returning to their search for a right-back, the Citizens would love to sign Tino Livramento from Newcastle United.
