MANCHESTER UNITED TRANSFER EXCLUSIVE: Benfica star now top target with Koulibaly deal OFF
Posted Sunday, May 26, 2019 by Dailystar.co.uk
Man United have been knocked back in their attempts to sign Koulibaly so have turned to Dias (Pic: GETTY)
MANCHESTER UNITED are turning to Benfica ace Ruben Dias after Napoli slapped a ï¿¡150m price-tag on Senegal target Kalidou Koulibaly.
An initial ï¿¡85m inquiry from Manchester United for central defender Koulibaly was rejected last week by the Serie A club.
That came with a warning they will not listen to offers of less than ï¿¡150m.
The Italians confirmed the hands-off stance by turning down ï¿¡90m from Real Madrid on Friday.
All of which seems to have done the trick in deterring United from their pursuit of Koulibaly – for now at least.
Instead, the fallen Premier League giants’ focus is firmly back on fast-rising Portuguese international Dias.
Centre-half Dias, 22, is six years younger than Koulibaly, who turns 28 next month, and would cost considerably less.
Benfica rejected ï¿¡30m from French club Lyon 12 months ago but will cash in on Dias this summer if they receive around ï¿¡60m.
That represents relatively good value for United, who have armed new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a minimum of ï¿¡250m in the current window.
Solskjaer is loathed to blow more than half of that on Koulibaly, especially when looking to bring in at least five new faces to revitalise his struggling squad.
In addition to Dias, also being tracked by Tottenham, United are chasing Swansea winger Dan James, Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ajax centre-half Matthijs de Ligt, Monaco playmaker Youri Teilemans and Leicester defender Harry Maguire.
That shopping list may grow longer yet depending on what happens to the large group of unsettled names at Old Trafford.
Paul Pogba, David De Gea, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez could all be on their way this summer.
That would add another ï¿¡300m to Solskjaer’s war-chest but leave him with even more gaps to plug before the August 8 deadline.
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