Man United rival Everton for wantaway defender Koulibaly

Manchester United are ready to rival Everton for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to reports.

The 28-year old centre-back has reportedly told the Serie A club that he wants to leave in January, which will inevitably have piqued the interest of many clubs across Europe.

The Senegal international is a highly regarded defender, and he has been heavily linked with a plethora of clubs in the past, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton.

Now according to transfer expert Ian McGarry, the latter two could be set to duke it out for the powerhouse defender’s signature.

Talking on Reach plc’s Transfer Window Podcast, as reported by Star Sport, McGarry said:

It’s my information that Koulibaly has informed Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis of his desire to leave the club in January.

This has been an ongoing situation, but with the departure of Ancelotti who he was very close to, has brought the issue to a head, and Koulibaly is now seeking a move away from Serie A.

And this has begun an option process led by Carlo Ancelotti at Everton who sees weaknesses in the Everton back line.

But probably just as interesting, especially given their current form at the back, is Manchester United have made contract with Napoli regarding Koulibaly and the price Napoli are asking.

Interesting, also, that Koulibaly’s valuation is in excess of €65m (£55m), so it would be a substantial investment for either of the north west clubs to make that bid and satisfy De Laurentiis, who we know does not sell cheap.

Read Everton Verdict

Everton’s chances of landing Kalidou Koulibaly seem extraordinarily slim at this point, not only because of the money involved, but also because of the club’s lack of Champions League football as an incentive.

Carlo Ancelotti appears to be the only real incentive Everton have at this point, and Koulibaly’s relationship with the Italian stands out as the only pillar of hope Everton have in landing the powerful centre-back.

Koulibaly is just the type of player that Everton need right now, and I’d love to see the Toffees show ambition by landing him in January. However, even if the player wanted to come to Goodison Park, dealing with Aurelio De Laurentiis in the winter window could be a nightmare.