Liverpool had strong interest in £133m Manchester United transfer target and key Manchester City star

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Liverpool were reportedly seriously interested in a potential transfer swoop for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly before they ended up signing Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds notably spent big on signing Van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018, and he’s gone on to become a huge player for them, turning their defence into one of the most solid in Europe.

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Things could have gone a little differently, however, with Liverpool also interested in Koulibaly and Aymeric Laporte – who ended up joining Manchester City – as other options at the back, according to Goal.

The report explains that Manchester United have also been strongly linked with the Senegal international, who has been talked up as being worth as much as £133million by his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

It certainly seems clear that an elite talent like Koulibaly could have been a superb addition at either Liverpool or United, though it’s now surely the latter who need him more.

Liverpool were interested in Kalidou Koulibaly before signing Virgil van Dijk

The Red Devils splashed out on Harry Maguire this summer, but one imagines they’d still welcome Koulibaly as his partner in the future as he’d surely be an improvement on the likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly.

LFC, meanwhile, will surely be more than happy with Van Dijk and have no regrets over not signing Koulibaly or Laporte instead.

Laporte has been a fine signing for Man City but it’s hard to imagine him revolutionising Liverpool’s defence in quite the same way Van Dijk has.

More Stories Aymeric Laporte Jurgen Klopp Kalidou Koulibaly Virgil van Dijk