Manchester United are reportedly preparing a club record £100 million bid to sign Senegalese international Kalidou Koulibaly in January.
According to a report from the Evening Standard (h/t Daily Express), Premier League heavyweights Manchester United are set to make a whopping £100 million offer to try and lure Napoli superstar Kalidou Koulibaly to Old Trafford in the January transfer window.
Manchester United’s season is in complete disarray as they find themselves in the sixth place in the Premier League standings, 19 points adrift of leaders and arch-rivals Liverpool. The Red Devils were absolutely hammered 3-1 by the league leaders on Sunday, which heaped further pressure on manager Jose Mourinho and his brigade.
It is no secret that Mourinho was extremely keen on strengthening his defence in the summer transfer window, but the club failed to acquire any of the Portuguese’s targets. That has come to haunt Manchester United, as they have already let in 29 goals in the Premier League, one more than what they conceded in the entirety of the last season.
In fact, Manchester United boast the worst defensive record in the top 15 of the Premier League table this term. This hasn’t been lost on the manager and the club hierarchy, leading to them prioritizing the signing of a new centre-half in the January transfer window.
The 20-time English champions were believed to be reigniting their interest in Tottenham star Toby Alderweireld, while Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar had also been linked with a switch to Old Trafford. However, they now seem to have turned their attention towards Napoli’s Koulibaly.
The 27-year-old joined the Partenopei back in the summer of 2014 from Belgian outfit KRC Genk has gone from strength to strength with every passing season. Till date, the Senegalese man mountain has gone on to make 186 appearances for the Serie A heavyweights, establishing himself as one of the most reliable centre-halves across Europe.
Koulibaly signed a new contract with Napoli in September earlier this year, extending his stay at the San Paolo till the summer of 2023, putting them in a strong negotiating position.
Manchester United are believed to already have had two offers rejected for the 27-year-old by the Italians. However, the Red Devils are set to test their resolve by making an offer worth £100 million, which would make Koulibaly the world’s most expensive defender.
There is no question that Manchester United are in need of a new defender heading into the second half of the campaign. And Koulibaly can be the perfect solution for their woes to the back. The Senegalese international has the ability to make a similar impact like Virgil van Dijk did at Liverpool since joining from Southampton last January.
But it remains to be seen if Manchester United actually go through with the mega money bid for the Napoli defender, or whether they look for cheaper alternatives elsewhere.
