As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues the rebuilding job at Man United in the hope of getting them back to the level they enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson, news that one of the club’s targets wants to play for Pep Guardiola at Man City isn’t likely to have gone down well in the corridors of power at Old Trafford.
Although Kalidou Koulibaly is already 29 and will cost a reported £72.5m per The Sun, the Napoli centre-back is highly sought after.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the player would rather ply his trade, if he is to leave the Partnopei, at the Etihad Stadium next season as he wants to play under Pep Guardiola.
It’s generally accepted that although City have been excellent going forward, they’ve struggled at times defensively, particularly in the central areas.
Aymeric Laporte’s long-term injury didn’t help Guardiola, and the hire of Koulibaly therefore makes sense for a number of reasons.
He is a huge presence at the back for Napoli, and because of his physicality is difficult to shake off of the ball. His aerial presence is also a huge plus.
A ball player too, he’s precisely the type of centre-back that fits the Guardiola mould.