Manchester United seem to be eyeing a defender this summer.

The club have struggled somewhat in recent weeks, with their ambitions of challenging for the Premier League title taking a serious hit.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have won just one of their last five games, a 9-0 thumping of Southampton, but have also drawn with West Bromwich Albion and lost to Sheffield United, two teams firmly in the relegation zone.

They have conceded 31 goals in their 24 games this season, a higher number than every other team in the top 10, bar Liverpool in sixth.

It is little surprise, then, that Eurosport claims that they are eyeing new recruits for their backline.

They report that the Sevilla defender Jules Kounde is emerging as a leading option to move to the club.

Kounde is 22 and has made 31 appearances in all competitions this season.

He missed two games through injury earlier this season, and Sevilla lost both of them.

His importance, though, means Sevilla value him at over £60m, while Kounde has a contract that runs until 2024, leaving the Spanish club in a strong position to resist offers.

The report states that Solskjaer is keen on Kounde and is asking his scouts to keep him updated on his progress.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Kounde might actually be too similar to Harry Maguire.

The England defender is immovable in Solskjaer’s defence and he is a reactive presence when it comes to tackling and pressuring the opposition, though he is relatively dominant in the air.

The same can be said of Kounde.

The youngster makes just one tackle per game, per fbref, just 0.71 interceptions, and a mere 1.47 blocks. He is also just 5ft 9in, compared to Maguire's 6ft 4in, so his aerial presence is non-existent. 

He likes carrying the ball, though, and he has a remarkably high number of touches in the attacking penalty area for a defender (2.03).

United need someone who is more forward-thinking defensively, otherwise they risk Maguire and his partner trying to occupy exactly the same spaces on the pitch and them both trying to move up the pitch with the ball. 

Defences with balance need one who stays and one who goes, not two who go.