Why Man United should avoid signing Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer
According to Tthe Mirror, Manchester United are interested in signing Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, who is rated at around £90million.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer views the 28-year-old as the perfect partner for Harry Maguire and the Red Devils regard him as their defensive priority. Kalidou Koulibaly, 28, is aware of their interest and is open to the idea of a switch to England, the Daily Mirror claims.
But if Manchester United are going to pull it off, they will have to ward off interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Chelsea who are also said to be keen, the report adds.
The Red Devils did bolster their midfield options in January with the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon. Fernandes’ addition was followed up with a shock deadline day swoop for Shanghai Shenhua striker Odion Ighalo on loan for the rest of the season, with Solskjaer managing to strengthen his attack following Marcus Rashford’s long-term injury.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Wolves means Solskjaer’s men have failed to score in their last three league outings. And wins for Sheffield United and Tottenham has seen United now drop to seventh in the table.
The Red Devils are aiming to achieve a top-four finish after missing out on Champions League football this season. For that to happen, Solskjaer will need his players to step up a level as well as new signings to hit the ground running.
United’s interest in Kalidou Koulibaly isn’t surprising, considering the fact that they haven’t been able to stem the flow of goals despite signing Harry Maguire from Leicester City during the last summer transfer window. Maguire has blown hot and cold in his debut campaign at Old Trafford, although he did help United keep a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw with Wolves.
Apart from Maguire, Solskjaer has the likes of Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe as options in central defence after allowing Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo to leave on loan. Timothy Fosu-Mensah is also an option as his versatility allows him to play in various positions across the backline and in midfield. The Red Devils are well-stocked in the central defence area and thus, Solskjaer should drop his interest in Koulibaly.
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Undoubtedly, Koulibaly is highly experienced but he is 28 and would be 29 in June. Spending so much on an ageing defender won’t make sense.
Verdict
Koulibaly, despite his experience and class, should be avoided by United. In fact, Solskjaer has a lot of options in the defence and if he really intends to sign one, he should go for a younger alternative in the summer.
