- Manchester United are being linked to a move that adds more steel to their defensive line.
- Reports in Italy have linked Manchester United to a €63m move for the Senegalese star
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Manchester United have “expressed interest” in doing a deal for Koulibaly. However, according to the same report, the talks are only in the initial stages just yet.
Manchester United finished the 2019-20 season with the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding just 36 goals. Only Manchester City and eventual champions Liverpool conceded lesser than the Red Devils.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given a £130m boost to his defence at the start of last season, with the signings of Harry Maguire from Leicester City and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace. But it seems like the Norwegian isn’t content with resting on his laurels and wants Manchester United to push further.
Victor Lindelof had a solid season alongside Maguire at the heart of the Manchester United defence, but beyond that is where the problems happened for Solskjaer.
Both Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe were largely unavailable for most of the season, with injury worries. Manchester United also have Champions League football to contend with next season and will need quality in depth if they are to navigate multiple competitions successfully.
Manchester United express interest in signing Kalidou Koulibaly
Koulibaly, the 29-year-old Senegal international has been the rock at the heart of the Napoli defence for a few seasons now – since signing for the Neopolitans in 2014.
Koulibaly was part of the Napoli side that finished an underwhelming 7th in Serie A this season, after an atrocious start to the season that led to the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.
Gennaro Gattuso took over from Ancelotti and has managed to steady the Napoli ship by taking them to 7th, while they also won the Coppa Italia, beating Juventus in the final.
Napoli were just knocked out of the UEFA Champions League last week, after losing 4-1 on aggregate to Barcelona in the Round of 16.
Manchester United’s 2019-20 season is still not finished after the Red Devils beat FC Copenhagen 1-0 in the Europa League quarterfinal to set up a semifinal clash with either Sevilla or Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Should they go all the way in the Europa League, United are expected to receive a few extra days off from the Premier League before they start their campaign for the 2020-21 season.
Manchester United’s push to sign Jadon Sancho has already seen its fair share of twists and turns, but if they manage to add Koulibaly to their squad, along with Sancho, they will be a force to be reckoned with next season.
