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Liverpool make contact over Kalidou Koulibaly deal in transfer blow to Man Utd
LIVERPOOL have discussed a possible move for Kalidou Koulibaly with the Napoli defender's agent, shock reports in Italy claim, in what would be a blow to Manchester United.
Man Utd would have Koulibaly in a heartbeat says Burley
The Napoli defender has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks.
Manchester United have been credited with interest in Koulibaly, 27, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eyes a new centre-back.
However, according to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, Liverpool are thinking about making an official bid for Koulibaly.
The defender has been on Klopp’s radar for some time and Liverpool have contacted Koulibaly's agent, they add.
The Reds face stiff competition for Koulibaly’s signature from Solskjaer’s United, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain.
But, Napoli are hoping for around £107m (€120m) for the Senegalese defender.
The Azzurri are keen to wrap up any business for the defender earlier in the transfer window
The Azzurri are keen to wrap up any business for the defender earlier in the transfer window.
That’s because they need to sell a few players in order to make funds available for new purchases, it's claimed.
But, Koulibaly is currently on international duty with Senegal, ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal’s first match is against Tanzania on June 23 in Cairo, Egypt.
United had reportedly been readying an £84m bid for Koulibaly earlier this month.
Solskjaer had hoped that Koulibaly would be the face of his new-look United squad.
Juventus are also lurking in the background, with Maurizio Sarri making the defender his number one priority this summer.
Sarri has a good working relationship with Koulibaly from his time at Napoli, and that could persuade him to move to Turin.
PSG could also make a move for the in-demand centre-back, if they fail to land Dutch wonder kid Matthijs de Ligt.
But, the Parisians would struggle to pay more than €100m for Koulibaly, especially after its previous exploits in the transfer market, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have been given the green light to sign Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele this summer.
Anfield is believed to be the Frenchman’s preferred destination, and the deal would allow Barcelona to progress in their pursuit of Antoine Griezmann.