The transfer window: towards a Barça-Real duel for Jules Koundé?

Barça approached Koundé this winter

Promising at the Girondins de Bordeaux, Jules Koundé is unanimous in Spain, where he is living his second season at Sevilla FC.

The second and the last?

According to

Mundo Deportivo

, FC Barcelona surveyed the Andalusian club on the availability of the French defender (22).

The Catalans quickly forgot the idea when Sevilla waved Koundé's € 75m release clause.

Barça has defense concerns and had made Eric Garcia (20, Manchester City) his priority, but he will wait until the player's contract expires in June to recruit him "for free".

Nevertheless, Barça could return to the attack for Koundé this summer, according to

Mundo Deportivo

.

Just like ... Real Madrid.

If nothing is done, the Madrid club would have ticked the name of the international French hopefuls, which would strengthen a sector where the departures of Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane are less and less taboo.

The top 10 goals of FC Barcelona over the last decade

Three “finalist” clubs for Upamecano

Unless the situation turns around, Dayot Upamecano will leave RB Leipzig at the end of the season.

The French international defender extended for a year last summer, until June 2023, after a Champions League semi-final with the German club.

The daily

Bild

reports that three clubs are still in the race for Upamecano (22): Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

"We will of course look into this question", admitted the chairman of the Bavarian board of directors, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, last January.

Upamecano's release clause is estimated at just over € 40 million.

Real Madrid: Odegaard not hot to come back if Zidane stays?

The end of the season for Real Madrid promises to be decisive in the future of Zinédine Zidane.

The French coach is in an ejection seat with the probable loss of the La Liga title, to the benefit of Atlético de Madrid, broad leader.

There is one player who is watching this situation carefully: Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian midfielder (22) had a good 2019-20 season on loan to Real Sociedad, and thought to continue one more year in the Basque Country.

But Zidane called him back to Madrid, without Odegaard imposing himself.

He was therefore loaned again this winter, this time to Arsenal.

"He wanted to leave and play," replied the coach of Merengues soberly after his departure.

And to believe the Catalan daily

Sport

, the opinion that Odegaard has of Zidane has taken a big hit.

Odegaard would strongly oppose a return to Real if the 1998 world champion is still in office next season.

The latter would not however be the type to keep him against his will, and a definitive transfer is not to be excluded for a player under contract until 2023.

Odegaard's first training session with Arsenal

Chelsea on the lookout for Ruiz-Atil (PSG)

Last week,

RMC Sport

revealed that Kays Ruiz-Atil's future was written in dotted lines at Paris Saint-Germain.

Born in Lyon and trained at FC Barcelona until the age of 13 before landing at PSG, Ruiz-Atil (18) would "not be convinced by the future that sports management promises him".

Information confirmed by

Foot Mercato

, which adds that Chelsea is a candidate for the Franco-Moroccan midfielder.

Ruiz-Atil is not in the small papers of Mauricio Pochettino, while Thomas Tuchel, now stationed at Chelsea, had allowed him to play his first 7 matches in Ligue 1. The leaders of the Blues have already met his entourage. last summer.

Ruiz-Atil is at the end of his contract this season at PSG.

Bordeaux: Serious convinced by Alain Roche

Officially presented this Tuesday after making his debut Sunday in Brest (1-2), Jean-Michaël Séri returned to the reasons for his arrival at the Girondins de Bordeaux.

"It's simple, I had a very positive speech from the sports director who is Mr. Alain Roche, who considered me and with great respect," said the Ivorian midfielder, on loan from the English club Fulham.

Blacklisted with the Cottagers, Séri (29), who worked for OGC Nice, did not want to look beyond the next few weeks: “A player cannot guarantee his future.

You must first think about being efficient, the rest will follow, it is linked automatically.

I'm not thinking about it, I'm thinking of helping the team. "

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