Pranav Nair
Napoli want £90m for Manchester United target Kalidou Koulibaly
According to Italian publication Corriere Dello Sport (h/t Standard), Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has named his asking price for Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Senegalese international is one of the best defenders in world football. Napoli are aware of it and will not accept any bid below £90million for their star.
“If City or United or PSG showed up with €100m (£90m), I would think about it and it is probable that they would leave, always if their will was to leave.”
The 28-year-old is not short of suitors. He has attracted considerable attention from both Manchester clubs, PSG and Real Madrid.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in the market for a partner for Harry Maguire. The English defender has considerably strengthened our backline since joining for a world-record fee last summer. (h/t Standard)
Victor Lindelof has definitely improved but is still prone to an error in what is a glaring weakness in our backline.
There is no doubt that Koulibaly could be a game-changer. But the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic can scupper hopes of any move.
Ed Woodward has already suggested that United will not be spending upwards of £70m on an individual deal. Soon to be 29, Koulibaly will cost a world-record fee for a defender while also not being a long-term option. (h/t Standard)
It is difficult to see us gain long-term value from such a move. We are better off spending the money elsewhere, especially on a talent who can stay at the club for years.
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The addition of Koulibaly should potentially give us the best centre-back pairing in the league, at least on paper.
However, reality has to be taken into consideration while making such decisions. At this moment, Koulibaly is an extravagance we can afford to pass on.
