Once the home of Zinedine Zidane and one of France’s great football dynasties, Bordeaux now finds itself in the wilderness of the fourth tier. Yet beneath the ruins lies a sleeping giant waiting for revival.

Barcelona have slammed the door shut on Manchester City’s attempts to prise Jules Kounde away, with the Frenchman signing a mammoth new contract tying him to the Catalan giants until 2030. The defender’s previous deal was set to run until 2027, but months of negotiations finally ended with a fresh agreement that cements his future at the Camp Nou.

Jules Kounde hopes the "best man wins" the Ballon d'Or when asked to pick between France team-mate Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona co-star Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona’s summer transfer window had its fair share of drama and speculation, with Manchester City reportedly showing interest in Jules Kounde. The French defender was on Pep Guardiola’s radar after a successful season with the Blaugrana, but sporting director Deco has now explained why the story never went any further.

Jules Kounde heaped praise on his national team captain Kylian Mbappe, stating that leadership is a quality that comes to the Real Madrid man naturally.