We see it all the time where one transfer can trigger a domino effect that results in other moves being able to happen, but this would be a tough one for Man United to take.
It’s generally the case that a team won’t allow a star to leave until they have a replacement sorted out, but this domino effect would see United miss out on a couple of key defensive targets.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Gabriel Magalhaes is on the verge of joining Napoli from Ligue 1 side Lille, but the Brazilian defender had been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford by the same outlet earlier on today.
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Some fans will be starting to put two and two together here when they see that Napoli are involved, and indeed, this would free up Kalidou Koulibaly to make the move to Man City.
The problem with that is that the Express had indicated that Koulibaly was a priority for Man United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer, but it now looks like they are about to miss out on two targets in quick succession.
There’s no doubt that Victor Lindelof is perfectly competent but he’s not the partner that Harry Maguire needs to get the best out of him, so it looks like United will need to come up with some alternative plans to bolster their defence.