Unsettled £88m star ready to push for Man Utd move as Reds eye swoop

The January transfer window is open and managers are working hard on strengthening their squads and identifying targets for the summer so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest rumours. Today, the latest on Kalidou Koulibaly…

Kalidou Koulibaly is ready to plead with Napoli to allow him to hold talks with Manchester United over a potential £88m move to Old Trafford, according to reports in Italy via TeamTalk.

Koulibaly has developed in to one of the best centre-backs in world football since joining Napoli from Genk in 2014 but his future at the San Paolo Stadium has been called in to question in recent weeks amid a racism storm in Italy.

The 27-year-old was targetted by Inter Milan fans for racist abuse during Napoli’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan on Boxing Day. Napoli tried to get the game suspended but the referee refused and the report says Koulibaly has been angered by a lack of support from the Serie A authorities.

The situation has fuelled speculation suggesting Koulibaly could be on the move and while boss Carlo Ancelotti tried to play down the reports by insisting the player is happy in Naples, rumours persist that the defender is unsettled in Italy.

The Senegal international has been strongly linked with a move to Man Utd and TeamTalk are now citing Tuttosport as reporting that Koulibaly is ready to push for a move to Old Trafford if they formalise their interest this month.

It’s claimed by the Italian outlet that Koulibaly will plead with Napoli chiefs to let him hold talks with United ahead of a deal that could reportedly cost around £88m [€100m]. We can’t find a link to the Tuttosport story as it must have been published in their print newspaper, so we’ll have to take TeamTalk’s report on face value.

United have been in the market for a top class centre-back for some time having failed to land any of their prime targets in the summer but Koulibaly is seemingly still on their radar despite the exit of Jose Mourinho in December.

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis is a tough negotiator and he’s dismissed the idea of selling his key man mid-season, but the report says he could change his stance if Koulibaly tells him personally that he wants to leave.

READ MORE–> Man Utd transfer news

The powerful defender would be a sensational signing if Man Utd could pull it off as he’d be a huge upgrade on the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly but we’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming days.