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Man City handed Koulibaly transfer boost

Kalidou Koulibaly, Dayot Upamecano
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Manchester City’s pursuit of Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly has been handed a substantial transfer boost by Manchester United.

Manchester City have been left alone in the race for Koulibaly after Manchester United switched their attention over to RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s search for a new central defender has taken a fresh twist.

The Norwegian tactician has dumped his long-standing interest in Koulibaly to channel his efforts on landing the highly-rated Frenchman.

Despite already having a host of defensive options, Solskjaer has made the club aware of his concerns about the quality of those at his disposal.

Upamecano has, therefore, emerged as an exciting addition to the Manchester United squad, with the Red Devils mounting pressure on Leipzig to sanction the move.

Now, with the French up-and-comer in the frame, Manchester City have a clear path to Koulibaly, according to the Daily Mail.

Pep Guardiola is a long-term admirer of the Senegalese star, who he sees as a perfect solution to City’s defensive woes.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has already admitted the 29-year-old centre-back will be allowed to leave the San Paolo if the right offer comes in.

De Laurentiis would like close to £80million to let go of Koulibaly and has so far proved reluctant to soften his stance on his star’s valuation.

The former Genk man has given his consent to a switch to the Premier League long ago but has been waiting for Napoli to give the go-ahead.

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