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Arsenal persist with pointless £50m Jules Kounde transfer

By Ross Kennerley

SEVILLE, SPAIN - MAY 23: Jules Kounde of Sevilla FC looks on during the La Liga Santander match between Sevilla FC and Deportivo Alavés at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on May 23, 2021 in Seville, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
SEVILLE, SPAIN - MAY 23: Jules Kounde of Sevilla FC looks on during the La Liga Santander match between Sevilla FC and Deportivo Alavés at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on May 23, 2021 in Seville, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Edmond Tapsoba
Leverkusen’s Burkinabe defender Edmond Tapsoba celebrates after scoring the 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images) /

Arsenal Are Wasting Their Time With Kounde & Tapsoba

If Arsenal were to head into the coming season with Pablo Mari, Gabriel, Saliba, Holding and Chambers who can cover, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. There isn’t the blend of consistent performances or top-flight experience in there to really encourage, but Gabriel will be excellent; Mari is a solid backup; Holding at least knows the division and everything points towards Saliba being it.

Should an experience option arise in the market, then there is scope for reinforcement.

However, reliable outlet The Athletic revealed Arsenal’s interest in Sevilla’s Jules Kounde. Interest that has continued to be picked up elsewhere. If someone turned around and offered you Kounde, no matter what your current options were, you’d take it. He really is outstanding. Outstanding bordering on world-class.

He also costs £50m. At least. Which in itself begs the question: why bother? Unless KSE were part of the Titanic expedition in 1985 and stumbled across an actual warchest of cash this pursuit will only end in failure.

The same applies to Tapsoba, who also has been listed as someone Arsenal are ‘seriously interested in’ by The Athletic. He will cost even more.

Where is this money coming from? And why would it be injected into non-homegrown centre-backs of a young age with no top-flight experience?

These two would waltz into most sides on the continent and if Arsenal were to sign them it’d be marvelous. That just isn’t going to happen. Given the strength of the reports, the club are wasting time into deals they won’t secure when if they really want another right centre-back they should be expending their energy on deals that actually have a feasible chance of completion.

All of this before factoring in that the other interested parties all boast Champions League football. Arteta’s side don’t even have the Europa League. Or the Europa Conference League. Arsenal can’t win.

With so much to do, deals such as those mentioned are rabbit holes to avoid venturing into. Unless KSE are doing a David Copperfield and will pull tens of millions out of a hat, these deals won’t come off.

Arsenal's £30m Buendia bid rejected. dark. Next

Is it just PR fed to sources? In all honesty, hopefully it is. It’s good to aim high but don’t stretch too far.

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