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Kalidou Koulibaly prevented from joining Manchester United
Oct 31 2025 09:16 · By onefootball.com · 244 Reads
Interview
Kalidou Koulibaly prevented from joining Manchester United
Kalidou Koulibaly has revealed a pivotal moment in his career: in 2018, Manchester United tabled a €100 million bid to sign him. But the transfer was blocked by Napoli , helped by Carlo Ancelotti, who was then the head coach of the Italian club.
On the podcast Zack en Roue Libre, the Senegalese defender recounted:
Napoli had received a huge offer from Manchester United. But Ancelotti came to see me and said: “I came here to win the Scudetto. What do you want to do?”
Koulibaly admitted he wanted to leave, believing it was time to take his career to the next level. But the Italian coach was determined to keep him, even going so far as to say he would resign if Koulibaly left the club.
– Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Ultimately, the defender stayed at Napoli for another four seasons, until his move to Chelsea in 2022 for around €40 million. That decision extended a remarkable journey, with Koulibaly making 317 appearances in Napoli colors.