Manchester United have had a £71m bid for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Sky Sports Italia, via The Mail.

Koulibaly has been linked with moves to Liverpool in the recent weeks and there have been claims that the Reds have made offers too.

However, it looks like Man United are now firmly in the race to sign the 28-year-old star, just a year after they broke the world record fee for a defender when they signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City.

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Koulibaly was voted as one of the best 30 players in the world at the last Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, so it’s no surprise to see clubs interested in him.

Whilst we’ve doubted Liverpool’s reported interest in the Senegalese star, a move to Man United would certainly make sense for all parties.

United should have the financial power to spend big in the summer, even after taking a financial hit due to the current global events.

Furthermore, they seem keen to back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and get their club back into the Champions League on a regular basis and improving their defensive options is one way to help achieve that aim.

From a Liverpool point of view, it would be a shame to see such a great player join a fierce rival but it’s certainly a move we could see happening this summer.