UNITED TARGET NAPOLI STAR

UNITED PRESS AHEAD WITH SEARCH FOR ‘£100M’ CENTRE-BACK

UNITED are continuing to monitor Napoli centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly and Milan Skriniar of Internazionale ahead of the summer transfer window.

United are also tracking Joachim Andersen, of Sampdoria, as they prioritise a centre-back signing that eluded them last summer. The irony of United’s long-standing interest in the trio is Koulibaly and Skriniar were both coveted by previous manager Jose Mourinho, and the club’s former fitness coach, Stefano Rapetti, tipped United off about Andersen.

The M.E.N. revealed last month United have begun due diligence to prepare for the summer window, having made no additions in January.

Caretaker coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has presided over four clean sheets from his 10 games in charge and United have only conceded seven, but the club acknowledges a central defensive reinforcement is needed.

When United enquired about the 23-year-old Skriniar in the summer, Inter demanded £76m – £1m more than the world record £75m fee for a defender Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk.

United accepted Koulibaly, pictured, was unattainable and attempted to conclude a deal for Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld but were unsuccessful.

Skriniar has still not signed an improved contract at Inter and his current deal runs until 2022, but the Slovakia international has indicated his intention to stay in Milan.

Despite that, sources have suggested Skriniar would prefer a move to the Premier League.

Koulibaly, 27, is tied to Napoli until 2023 and would almost certainly command a greater fee than Van Dijk – but senior United sources told the M.E.N. at the start of the season they would be prepared to pay £100m for the right profile of centre-back, with Raphael Varane of Real Madrid cited as an example.