Liverpool, Man United lock horns over world-record transfer

Matt Stead
Kalidou Koulibaly Napoli

Kalidou Koulibaly has received contract offers from both Liverpool and Manchester United.

Liverpool were said to be ‘in pole position’ to sign the centre-half from Napoli this summer.

Newcastle and Tottenham are also thought to be interested in the Senegal international, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Magpies, with the promise of increased funding from prospective new owners PCP Capital Partners, have offered Koulibaly ‘a gold contract’ of ’12 million euros per year’.

Le10Sport add that the centre-half has received two other Premier League offers: ‘a very good salary’ from Liverpool and a Manchester bid despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having reportedly turned down the move last month.

Liverpool are again said to be ‘in pole position’ due to the guarantee of Champions League football and the promise of being partnered with Virgil van Dijk.


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United are said to have first made contact with Koulibaly’s representatives in April, an apparent U-turn on their previously reported stance.

Napoli hope to attract a fee that would ‘approach the 100million euro mark’, which would make Koulibaly the most expensive centre-half in history.

The defender was named as one of four ‘slam dunks’ Liverpool considered signing in the summer of 2017.

They would eventually bring Van Dijk in from Southampton, while deals for Jerome Boateng and Aymeric Laporte were considered but soon dismissed.

The former was turned down because of his age and injury record, while Athletic Bilbao’s asking price for Laporte was considered too ‘significant’ a problem to overcome.

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