However, Deco insists that there was no official offer from City for Kounde's services before Barcelona secured him to a new contract.

"There was no offer," Deco said in an interview. "The only thing I know is that City were looking for a full-back and asked us if Kounde was available on the market. We told them he wasn't. Therefore, there was neither an offer nor any negotiations."

Kounde signed a new deal with Barcelona in mid-August, extending his contract until 2030.