Wolves and Leicester join Newcastle and Palace in the race for Kossounou

Wolves and Leicester City have joined the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou, according to reports.

Kossounou has been heavily linked with Crystal Palace this summer as a replacement for Marc Guehi, who is also being linked with Newcastle United.

Ironically, Newcastle have also been credited with an interest in Kossounou.

On Thursday, Leverkusen's managing director of sport Simon Rolfes admitted it was “possible” Kossounou could leave the club before the end of the transfer window.

“I won't say. All in all, he is a player that we plan with,” said the 23-year-old German international, adding: “However, there may still be one or two changes in our team.”

Wolves and Leicester join the race for Kossounou

According to Sky Germany (via Get Football News Germany), Wolves and Leicester are in the race to sign Kossounou.

As Palace have managed to keep Guehi so far, it is unlikely that they will have the €30 million that is understood to be needed to convince them. Die Werkself parting with Kossounou. Instead, the Eagles may turn to Wolfsburg's Maxence Lacroix who recently sold Joachim Andersen to Fulham.

That will leave Newcastle to battle it out with Wolves and Leicester for Kossounou's signature.

Although no club has come forward with a concrete request, it is now expected that the Ivory Coast player will go unused when Leverkusen faces Stuttgart in the DFL Supercup and Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.