Manchester United have world record bid for centre-back rejected

Manchester United have already had a huge offer for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly rejected according to the Daily Mail.

The Serie A outfit reportedly immediately turned down an offer of £91m for their star centre-back as Jose Mourinho desperately attempts to bolster his fragile backline.

The Red Devils have conceded 21 goals in their first 13 league matches of the season, keeping just two clean sheets thus far, with David de Gea not offered the protection he needs.

Mourinho has called upon Chris Smalling and Viktor Lindelof more often than not thus far but the latter is now injured and the need for defensive reinforcements is still a pressing one.

The club refused to meet the demands of a number of clubs for players that their manager identified to resolve the issue in the summer, but they may attempt to do so before the season’s end.

United’s apparent offer would have been enough to smash the world record for a centre-back but Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis is not interested in cashing in on the Senegal international.

A lack of composure in possession from defenders is a big problem for Mourinho right now and Koulibaly is renowned for his ability to play out from the back, leading his side in passes per game (73.2) and completing 90.1 per cent of his attempts in Serie A this season.