Manchester City opted against moving ahead with a deal to sign Sevilla’s Jules Kounde after deciding to keep Nathan Ake, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist responded on Twitter to comments made by Sevilla’s sporting director Monchi who said that the Premier League champions did make an offer for Kounde before he joined Barcelona for €50m (£42m):

😀 …but internally they decided to keep Nathan Aké

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 29, 2022

It seems that City were seriously considering Kounde as an option, but the decision to keep Ake has certainly left rivals Chelsea in a tight spot.

Thomas Tuchel’s side have pursued both Ake and Kounde this summer but they have ended up signing neither player.

City, on the other hand, are well set in terms of centre-half options, but there are still concerns about the club’s lack of depth at left-back. Negotiations for Brighton’s Marc Cucurella have ground to a halt, and it remains to be seen whether the club will pursue alternative targets in the coming weeks.