Meghna Sengupta
According to a report by Daily Mail, Napoli have slapped a £105million price tag on Manchester United target Kalidou Koulibaly. The report has named us as one of the potential suitors for his signature but it seems like the Naples-based outfit are determined to retain his services.
Daily Mail claims Real Madrid and Chelsea are also harbouring an interest in Koulibaly but with such a mammoth price tag on his head, it remains to be seen if anybody is willing to meet Napoli’s demands.
Koulibaly is undoubtedly one of the most solid central defenders in the modern football scenes. Blessed with pace, agility, physical strength and aerial prowess, the 26-year-old is rightfully regarded as one of the most fearsome defenders in the Serie A.
As far as United are concerned, it goes without saying that we need to boost our forces at the back. There are a number of players who are likely to be offloaded this summer and when it comes to first-team regulars, we only have the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof to rely upon.
Jones, Bailly and Lindelof have been decent enough but Smalling has been largely inconsistent. We might have managed to walk away with a runners-up spot in the Premier League this season but going forward, it will be important for us to boost our central defensive strength.
With Champions League football and a solid title challenge beckoning us next season, a player like Koulibaly could go a long way in strengthening our forces at the back.
