According to a recent report from the Mirror, Manchester United have already identified their no.1 target for the summer and they are ‘hell-bent’ to bring in Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli. Koulibaly is being considered as the defensive priority for Manchester United, and he is being viewed as the perfect partner to Harry Maguire.
United to face stiff competition for Koulibaly’s signature
United have been linked with the Senegalese defender numerous times in the last year or so. Along with them, Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea are also said to be interested. The report does mention that United need to get Champions League football to challenge the other European heavyweights for Koulibaly’s signature. The Red Devils are willing to make Koulibaly their highest-paid player to get the deal over the line.
The fallen English giants did spend big on Harry Maguire in the summer, but there have been no real indications that he has improved United’s defence with the Red Devils struggling to get into the top four. Koulibaly could cost the best part of £90m reportedly. United would then have the two costliest defenders in the history of football at their disposal.
Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones are the other centre backs for the Red Devils. Lindelof has emerged as the primary partner for Maguire, but he has an error or two in his game even though he is a decent defender on his day. Koulibaly will undoubtedly tighten things at the back for the Mancunian outfit, given his experience and quality.
What will Koulibaly add to United’s team?
The 28-year-old is known for his physical strength and reading of the game. Many consider him to be just behind Virgil Van Dijk as the second-best defender in the world. Koulibaly is strong and committed with his challenges, but he hardly has to make many because of his excellent defensive awareness. The Senegalese defender is also a dominant force in the air, and he would improve any team’s defensive structure.
Man United can offer him all the money they want, but the likes of PSG, Chelsea and Real Madrid also have the financial power to match them. So what could tip the scales for them is Champions League football. Hence, Solskjær’s task will be quite tricky in terms of luring the player to Old Trafford. United have spent on plenty of big names in the last few years, but somehow the signings haven’t worked in the long run. However, you couldn’t go much wrong with someone like Koulibaly, who looks a class apart whenever he plays.
