Breaking news: Cavani unlikely to help Man Utd beat Chelsea to sign defender from Sevilla .

 Premier League pair Manchester United

 and Chelsea continue to squabble over the 

future of Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde.

Both clubs are in need of reinforcement in 

the heart of their defence.

Man Utd need an additional player to bring 

depth to a sector in which Harry Maguire has 

struggled for form this season, while Raphael 

Varane has not entirely settled after arriving 

from Real Madrid in the summer.

Chelsea’s problems are less immediate, 

though with Andreas Christensen, Antonio 

Rudiger and Thiago Silva all possessing 

contracts that expire in June, they are no 

less important.

France international Kounde has been 

earmarked as a potential signing by both clubs, 

with Chelsea even going close to signing him 

in the summer only to fail due to an inability 

to agree terms with Sevilla.

Indeed, the Primera Division side have 

been very definite over what they want: 

the €80m buy-out fee stipulated in Kounde’s 

deal.

Sevilla hold the balance of power in these

 negotiations, too, with the player’s contract 

not up until 2024.

Cavani a solution to Kounde impasse?

Manchester United, like Chelsea, have not

 been willing to meet Sevilla’s valuation of kounde, 

but according to Fichajes may have an 

alternative solution to the problem.

One of these could be including Edinson 

Cavani in a swap deal.

From Man Utd’s position, this makes some

 sense. They have an excess of centre 

forwards, while Cavani’s age and short 

contract means that he holds little transfer 

value. Furthermore, he is also on a substantial 

wage.

Cavani, though, is unlikely to be a player 

who tips the balance of this deal.

Sevilla’s forward line could use a forward 

of genuine experience, but Cavani’s mammoth

 wages are unlikely to appeal. Furthermore, 

in the form of Youssouf En-Nesyri, Rafa

 Mir and Munir El Haddad, they are well

 stocked with options of their own 

offensively.

En-Nesyri is presently injured and could 

be out for two months, so by the time Cavani 

arrived in any hypothetical deal, he would be 

returning.

And to make a swap deal work, the player 

must also agree to a transfer. Cavani would

 likely embrace the opportunity to play 

first-team football more regularly, but equally 

his desire is to move back to South America

 to be closer to his family. Signing even 

a medium-term deal with Sevilla is unlikely

 to be one that appeals to him.

Man Utd can always ask Sevilla the 

question, but Cavani is not likely to be 

the man to give them the edge in the race

 for Kounde.