Transfer Centre

Manchester United 'identify three Kalidou Koulibaly alternatives'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 14 December 2018

Man Utd 'identify three Koulibaly alternatives'

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reportedly earmarks three alternative targets for the January transfer window should the club fail in a bid for Kalidou Koulibaly.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly identified three potential defenders to target instead of Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

Koulibaly is understood to be top of Mourinho's wishlist for the January transfer window as he looks for defensive reinforcements after seeing the club miss out on a string of targets during the summer.

However, the Senegal international could cost a world-record fee of up to £100m, with Napoli reluctant to sell him at all but particularly midway through the season.

Should Koulibaly prove too expensive then the Evening Standard reports that Mourinho has drawn up a list of alternative targets for the club to chase.

Tottenham Hotspur's Toby Alderweireld is once again included after being heavily linked to United during the summer, while Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar and Alessio Romagnoli of AC Milan have also been earmarked.

The United board were understood to be unwilling to pay Alderweireld's asking price considering his age, but Skriniar and Romagnoli are both just 23 and so could be of interest.

United have already conceded 26 goals in the Premier League this season - 15 more than at the same stage of last term.