Man Utd reportedly sent scouts to watch Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly in action against Liverpool in the Champions League last week.
The Red Devils have been woeful defensively so far this season, conceding 29 goals in just 17 Premier League games, giving them the worst defensive record of the top 15 sides in the table.
SEE MORE: Double deal: Manchester United close in on £77million BARGAIN duo after breakthrough in talks
With that in mind, they’ll be desperate to address that problem area in January to give his side a more solid foundation, and it appears as though they’ve set their sights on Koulibaly.
According to The Sun, Man Utd sent scouts to watch the Napoli star against Liverpool last week, as although the Senegalese defensive rock would be a stunning addition to the side based on his form in Italy, they’ve clearly now got an idea of how he would fare against English sides too.
It’s claimed that the scouting mission was in preparation for a £90m January bid, while it’s added that United could look to double his current £80,000-a-week wages with the Italian giants.
Koulibaly has firmly established himself as a fundamental figure for the Partenopei, offering defensive solidity, physicality, aerial prowess and composure in building play out from the back. That ticks off several boxes that they will be prioritising in a defensive signing, and so such a move would seem to make plenty of sense for Man Utd.
However, time will tell if a January bid is made, and whether it’s enough to prise him away from Carlo Ancelotti who will surely be desperate to avoid losing him half-way through the campaign at least.
From United’s perspective though, they have to address their flaws at the back and a January signing could certainly boost their hopes of a top-four finish in the second half of the campaign while also making a positive statement after Jose Mourinho’s sacking on Tuesday.