Manchester United are reportedly considering a double swoop of Declan Rice and Kalidou Koulibaly to boost their squad in the January window.
According to a report by Goal, Manchester United are considering their possible targets for the January transfer window following a miserable start to the season. Interestingly, the Red Devils are looking to bolster the defensive side of things further, with Kalidou Koulibaly and Declan Rice emerging on their radar.
The struggles do not seem to be ending for Manchester United, who shockingly look worse for wear heading into the latest international break. Their attack lacks any sort of cutting edge, with the Premier League heavyweights managing to score a mere 9 goals in 8 top-flight games so far.
Defence, on the other hand, looks visibly improved following the addition of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Manchester United conceding significantly fewer chances than they did last term.
But, it looks like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still keen on bolstering the defensive side of things in his squad when the January transfer window opens. Manchester United have their sights set on Kalidou Koulibaly and Declan Rice as they priority targets for the winter.
Manchester United hold a long-standing interest in Koulibaly, having also attempted to sign him in the summer transfer window, as per widespread reports. The continued interest in the Senegalese defender, though, comes as a bit of a surprise, seeing as defence is the least of the Red Devils’ problems at present.
Axel Tuanzebe has stepped up well in the early stages of the season, with Solskjaer putting his faith in the youngster. But, the arrival of Koulibaly could hamper his progress, with Tuanzebe already battling Victor Lindelof for one position at the heart of the Manchester United defence.
Nevertheless, Koulibaly would be an upgrade on every defender in the Manchester United squad, bolstering their impressive defence even further. Rice, on the other hand, is the sort of a player that the English giants are in desperate need of.
With Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini departing from Old Trafford in 2019, Manchester United already looked lightweight in midfield, having not reinforced the department in the summer. Their concerns have increased further owing to the struggles of Fred and Nemanja Matic so far this term.
The regression of Matic, in particular, leaves Manchester United in an urgent need of a holding midfielder, with Scott McTominay, an ever-present in the middle of the park, is more of a box-to-box midfielder. As a result, Rice is a viable target to pursue for United to solve their midfield issues to some extent.
Signing both Koulibaly and Rice, though, will cost a bomb, with Goal speculating that they are both valued around £90 million. And, a mid-season transfer might be a tough one to execute as well, especially when it comes to Koulibaly, with Napoli hoping to put up a fight in the Serie A title race.
It now remains to be seen if a move for either or both Kalidou Koulibaly and Declan Rice will see the light of the day when the January transfer window opens. For now, Manchester United look in a desperate need of improving their squad drastically.
