MANCHESTER UNITED were handed a transfer boost with the news Napoli reportedly rejected Manchester City’s £53million offer for Kalidou Koulibaly.
Corriere dello Sport reports the Italian side did not consider City’s bid sufficient for their highly-rated central defender and will hold out for around £71m.
Manchester City have had a bid for Kalidou Koulibaly rejected by NapoliCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And the report states Pep Guardiola’s side are not prepared to dig further into their pockets for the 29-year-old.
The Citizens may be limited on the cash they can splash on Koulibaly with a sensational £623m contract for Argentine superstar Lionel Messi in the works.
But it is great news for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he looks for a long-term partner for headline-grabbing Harry Maguire.
However, United will face competition from Champions League runners-up Paris Saint-Germain who are also poised to swoop.
The French champs need to replace veteran Brazilian Thiago Silva after he moved to Frank Lampard’s Chelsea on a free transfer.
The Red Devils could see the likes of Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling leave the club in this window and are looking for reinforcements at the back.
The club are unconvinced Swede Victor Lindelof is the perfect partner for £85m Maguire.
And they have been linked with RB Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano.
Harry Maguire played more minutes than any other footballer in the world in 2019-20
But it is likely they will find it difficult to snare the 21-year-old this summer after he signed a contract extension until 2023.
And Leipzig trolled United on Twitter with a not-so-subtle reminder about the French ace’s decision to extend his time with them in the Bundesliga.
However, Upamecano’s new deal has a release clause in the region of £40million that comes into force next summer and could spark a bidding war.
Kalidou Koulibaly receives a warm welcome as he returns to the neighbourhood where he grew up
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
