The last transfer window was one of the wildest in years. Lionel Messi to PSG and Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United headlined a number of astonishing moves that shocked the soccer community.
The Red Devils have been missing glory days since the Sir Alex Ferguson era and they showed how serious they are about getting back to the top. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won't have any excuses this season as his squad was bolstered with stellar signings.
Besides Cristiano, Man United completed the long-awaited arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, and also landed French center-back Raphael Varane from Real Madrid. However, a recent report claims they could have acquired another man for the defense.
Man United reportedly stepped away from negotiations for €40m-rated Napoli star
Following another trophyless season, Solskjaer knew this year would be crucial to keep his job at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have grown tired of watching lifelong rivals Manchester City claiming titles and need their drought to be over soon.
The Swedish manager, therefore, was keen on improving his roster and the center-back position seemed priority. Well, they eventually landed Varane, but according to Corriere dello Sport, Man United were in talks to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
The highly praised Senegalese star was reportedly valued at €40 million, which may have pushed the Red Devils away. Good as he may be, Koulibaly isn't getting any younger and United considered the fee was too high in this case.
They ended up bringing in Varane for that price, which was kind of a bargain for a player of his level. With him and Harry Maguire they no longer needed to go after a big-name center-back as Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof are solid ackups. However, Koulibaly is understood to be happy in Serie A, so there were no big losers in this failed negotiation.
