Sevilla set price tag for Jules Kounde amid Tottenham interest

Sevilla have set a price tag of €70m on sought-after defender Jules Kounde, in an attempt to warn off any potential buyers in the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old has long been tipped for a move away from La Liga, with interest growing in the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur have made an approach for the Frenchman, while Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have all been monitoring the situation.

But Sevilla are reluctant to sell Kounde, and according to Marca, they have now placed a huge €70m (£60m) price tag on their defensive talisman to try and discourage any further bids from arriving this summer.

And confidence is growing that the centre-back will remain in Seville for the foreseeable future, after he returned to their training camp following France's disappointing Under-21 European campaign.

It was thought that Kounde may have to be sacrificed by Sevilla this summer, in an attempt to balance the books after a complicated, Covid-hit year. But the club's finances have received a boost in the form of Bryan Gil's transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, which is set to be announced soon.

Although the swap deal sees Spurs star Erik Lamela arrive in Seville in Gil's place, the balance of the transfer reads at around €30m in the Spanish side's favour. That generated income is a massive helping hand to their finances, and means that sporting director Monchi can drive an even harder bargain for his prized assets.

Kounde is the key player whose future now seems more certain to lie at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, even if he has previously expressed his desire to move to a bigger club. He was approached by Spurs in the past, but he rejected their advances, holding out for another European giant to come calling.

However, his hopes of leaving Seville have taken a hit with the club's insistence to up their asking price, and in the current economic climate, it may just be high enough to put off any prospective buyers.