Chelsea and Liverpool chasing La Liga defender

Manchester United suffered another disappointing derby defeat as they lost 3-1 to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils took a surprise lead at The Etihad courtesy of Marcus Rashford’s long range strike, before Phil Foden drew the hosts level.

The England international then put Pep Guardiola’s side ahead, before striker Erling Haaland added City’s third in the closing stages.

Victory for City cuts Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to just a single point, while United remain sixth in the top flight standings.

Off the pitch, United are set to battle it out with two Premier League rivals in the race to sign a La Liga defender.

As per Sport via TEAMtalk, Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all shown an interest in Barcelona centre-back Jules Kounde.

The Frenchman is one of two players – alongside forward Raphinha – that the Catalan side are willing to sell this summer in order to balance their books.

Kounde could be made available for sale this summer

Kounde, 25, was a target for Chelsea during his time with Sevilla, but ultimately moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2022.

The Frenchman has made 73 appearances for the Spanish side since joining the club, including 33 games already this term, but the report claims that his current employers have transfer listed the central defender.

Chelsea could lose veteran centre-back Thiago Silva when his contract expires this summer, while the Reds are also set to lose Joel Matip when his deal expires at the end of the current campaign.

United have struggled at the back with manager Erik ten Hag frequently rotating his backline, and it appears that the Dutchman is therefore looking at potential targets to bolster his defence this summer.