According to European reports, Premier League giants Manchester United previously offered Napoli an eye-watering £88m ($100m) to sign centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
Koulibaly, 29, joined Napoli from Genk in 2014 in a deal worth just £6.98m, as per Transfermarkt.
Since his arrival in Naples, the commanding Senegalese defender has featured in over 270 matches, in all competitions.
Despite turning 30 in the summer, Koulibaly has enjoyed a recent and sudden surge to the forefront of European football.
After emerging as one of Italy’s most highly-rated defenders, Koulibaly has seen his name linked with some of the sport’s biggest clubs, including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils.
A summer of speculation suggested the defender could be set for a move to the Premier League. Despite the relentless links, a move failed to materialise, leaving the 29-year-old with no choice but to continue at Napoli.
However, the latest in the ongoing saga comes from a written report from AS (via Sports Witness) who claim United’s hierarchy previously offered a whopping £88m for the defender.
It has been suggested that the Red Devils may never have finalised the deal, however, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is set to force Napoli to agree to a much lower future transfer fee.
It is not yet known whether or not the Red Devils will reignite their interest in the Napoli defender, especially considering a recent report from ESPNclaimed the club have a four-man defensive shortlist, which does not include Koulibaly.
However, regardless of whether or not Solskjaer targets Koulibaly again, one thing is for sure, the price will be nowhere near £88m the second time around.
