Manchester United have made a world-record bid for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly , according to the latest reports from Italy.
Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to shore up his defence if he is to get his Manchester United side back to the top of English and European football.
United have long been linked with 27-year-old Senegal centre-back Koulibaly, as well as Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld.
And it has now been claimed that United made a bid of €105million (£90m) for Koulibaly late last month.
That would dwarf the current record fee for a defender – the £75m Liverpool paid for their star performer of this season, Virgil van Dijk.
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claimed there is a bid of £90m still on the table from Manchester United.
But according to Tribal Football Koulibaly’s contract includes a €150m (£129m) buyout clause.
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis admitted earlier this season he had rejected a major offer for Koulibaly last summer.
And Koulibaly recently said: “I am pleased that many teams follow me, but I want to demonstrate on the field that I am at the level of the greatest and I want to show it in the future.”