Manchester United receive boost in signing Kalidou Koulibaly

Manchester United have reportedly been handed a boost in their pursuit of defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli this summer.

The Red Devils have been long-term admirers of the centre-back and they previously failed with a club-record £95m bid for his services in 2018.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Napoli are willing to listen to offers for Koulibaly and are prepared to lower their asking price from £120m to £85m.

It is added that club president Aurelio de Laurentiis won't entertain any further negotiation on the transfer value for the Senegalese footballer.

Koulibaly has been linked with both Chelsea and United in recent years but neither club has been able to find a transfer breakthrough with Napoli.

The centre-back has previously stated that he would prefer to win the Serie A title with the Naples outfit before moving on but that appears unlikely in the coming years with the club set for a transitional phase.

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been the regular centre-backs for United this term with Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe providing the support.

While Maguire has been consistent since his summer move from Leicester City, the same can't be said about Lindelof, whose positioning has occasionally come into question.