Manchester United have reportedly launched a €30 million offer for Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly, but it has been rejected by Napoli.
According to Italian journalist Carlo Nesti, as relayed by Area Napoli, Manchester United have seen their offer of €30 million for Serie A defensive stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly be knocked by Napoli.
One of the best defenders on display in Serie A for a number of years now, Koulibaly has been a mainstay at the heart of the Napoli backline since making the jump from Belgian outfit Genk. And, over the years, the Senegalese man mountain has been heavily linked with a transfer to the Premier League.
Manchester United have been a club that is linked with the 30-year-old almost every transfer window and while there has been no actual move until this point, it seems like the Red Devils did make an attempt to land Koulibaly this summer if Nesti is to be believed. However, their approach was knocked back by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Speaking on the Microfono Aperto program, the Italian journalist said, “Luciano Spalletti is convinced of the goodness of the staff at his disposal and has accepted with conviction the Aurelio De Laurentiis’ proposal. For the coach, however, there are two thorns to face and overcome.”
“The first concerns Kalidou Koulibaly. Manchester United offered 30 million to Napoli. Aurelio De Laurentiis said no to the proposal of the English, but the player said he was open to the possibility of going to play in such a prestigious club. There could be new assaults on Napoli for the Senegalese.”
It is no secret that Manchester United were on the lookout for defensive reinforcements this year and considering their long-standing interest in Koulibaly, an approach may be plausible. However, it is not clear from the statements made by Nesti whether the offer was made before or after the 20-time English champions got a deal over the line for Raphael Varane.
Much like Koulibably, Varane, too, had been on the radars of Manchester United for a number of years. And the Red Devils were able to snare him away from Real Madrid after the Frenchman entered the final year of his contract with the La Liga giants.
The journalist also adds that there could be fresh attempts made to sign Koulibaly, although it does seem a tad unlikely that Manchester United would try to sign another defender this summer, despite the impending loan exit of Axel Tuanzebe.
Interestingly though, Koulibaly has been linked with a move to Real Madrid as a potential replacement for Varane. It remains to be seen if they do launch a move for the Senegalese international or whether Manchester United decide to rekindle their interest in the 30-year-old anytime soon.
