Manchester United preparing huge offer for in-demand defender
Manchester United are prepared to tempt Napoli with a huge offer for centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly as they gear up for the coming season, reports the Daily Mirror.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to be handed the Manchester United reins on a permanent basis having impressed after succeeding Jose Mourinho as manager last year.
The Norwegian boss is plotting his long-term plans for the squad with Koulibaly one of a number of centre-back targets for United.
Solskjaer is looking to add a new centre-back to the squad, with Ruben Dias another linked with a summer switch, but Koulibaly remains the prime defensive target.
The Senegal star was heavily linked with a move to United in January, though were deterred by Napoli’s valuation of one of their star players.
Indeed, Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis values Koulibaly at £128m, however United are hoping a deal can be struck for the player this summer.
Harry Maguire is another centre-back that has been linked with a move to United, but Koulibaly remains the club’s number one target.
Kalidou Koulibaly: Only Marcelo Brozovic (1710) has made more accurate passes than @kkoulibaly26 (1700) in Serie A this season
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 23, 2019
For more player stats -- https://t.co/5rJNsLctUY pic.twitter.com/3Ic1NIKDRJ
Only Marcelo Brozovic (1710) has made more accurate passes than Koulibaly (1700) in Serie A this season, reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘passing’.