Manchester United will have to make Kalidou Koulibaly the third-most expensive footballer in history if they are to sign him this summer after Napoli set an asking price of £150m.
The 26-year-old Senegal international has emerged as one of the best central defenders in European football since joining Napoli from Genk for just £6.5m in 2014 and has been frequently linked with a move to the Premier League.
Koulibaly also has suitors elsewhere with Real Madrid and Barcelona also said to be admirers, although the La Liga giants have been priced out of a move, leaving United in the clear to sign him in the summer, according to the Daily Express.
Although the £150m price tag is exactly double what Liverpool paid Southampton to make Virgil Van Dijk the most expensive defender in world football 14 months ago, United reportedly haven’t been put off in their pursuit of Koulibaly.
Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment in December, Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof have established themselves as the Norwegian’s most regularly picked partnership, while Phil Jones has also recently signed a contract extension.
However, United are expected to sign a central defender in the summer regardless and were linked with a £65m move for Leicester City’s Harry Maguire at the end of last week. Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld has also been mentioned as a possible signing and he would cost just £25m due to a clause in his contract.
Koulibaly has been a near ever-present for Napoli this season, playing in 37 games in all competitions and he will be expected to play a key role when Carlo Ancelotti’s side face Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals next month.
As well as being expected to sign a defender, United have been linked with a number of attacking players including England teenagers Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
