We don’t often see Man United and Man City go head-to-head in the transfer market, but it sounds like Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is attracting interest from both parties.
Both teams have an obvious need for defensive reinforcements so he would be an instant starter for both sides. His pace and ability on the ball should make him the perfect partner for Harry Maguire, while that’s also what Pep Guardiola looks for in a defender.
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A recent report has given us an update on the situation with both teams in this transfer race, and it’s clear that City are in pole position just now:
Il #ManchesterCity ha offerto 63 milioni più bonus al #Napoli per #Koulibaly. Il #Napoli chiede almeno 70 base fissa. Dallo #United nessuna offerta per ora
— Alfredo Pedullà (@AlfredoPedulla) August 11, 2020
It’s suggested that City have offered €63m plus bonuses to Napoli, which is very close to their reported €70m asking price. When the negotiations are that close, then it’s fair to expect that a compromise won’t be far away at all.
As for Man United, the report states that they haven’t made a bid at all, so that does look like a less likely move. It’s possible they are holding out to the last moment or perhaps they have other priorities just now.
Either way, it’s clear that there’s a deal to be done here for City if they want him, while United will need to get their fingers out if they want this to happen.