According to the Mirror, Manchester United are ‘hell-bent’ on bringing Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly to Old Trafford this summer.
What’s the word?
It’s claimed that Red Devils boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer sees the towering 28-year-old as a perfect partner to his new skipper Harry Maguire, so much so that he will become their top priority when the transfer window re-opens at the end of the season.
United will have to battle Premier League rivals Chelsea as well as European heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, as per the same source.
Any potential deal would cost upwards of £90m, on top of his wages, whilst it could also hinge on whether or not the club are competing in the Champions League next season.
It is also believed that he would become the highest-paid player at the club.
Managerial legacy
If Man Utd can clinch the Senegal international, then they would certainly be on their way to completing a successful rebuild – one that can be the mark left behind by Solskjaer’s legacy as a manager at the club.
They have let go of the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young and Romelu Lukaku, who were a mix of the old guard and players favoured by previous managers – whilst the addition of Maguire in the summer signalled that the club were certainly trying to resolve some problematic areas.
Solskjaer has also since added Bruno Fernandes to his ranks, but they are still a long-term striker and another central defender away from being on the right path.
Bringing in Koulibaly would put them on that track, there’s no doubt – Phil Jones is often the scapegoat for fans, and the injury-stricken Eric Bailly have their question marks, and he appears to be an upgrade on Victor Lindelof too.
The 28-year-old has recorded more tackles (2.6), interceptions (1.1) and blocks (0.9) per game than the Swede domestically this season.
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Solskjaer made his mark as a player and is yet to as a manager, and this addition would help kickstart his managerial credentials for sure.
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