Premier League 2018-19: 3 reasons why Manchester United should sign Kalidou Koulibaly in January

Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly is reportedly top of Manchester United's shopping list
Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly is reportedly top of Manchester United's shopping list

#2 His signing would send a message that 2018-19 shouldn't be written off just yet

Signing Koulibaly would send a message that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer means business
Signing Koulibaly would send a message that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer means business

After firing Jose Mourinho and replacing him until the end of the season with a caretaker boss – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – it’d be easy for both the United board and their fans to almost write 2018-19 off as a disastrous season, and simply look forward to the summer and the 2019-20 season looming over the horizon.

After all, the Red Devils are currently on 35 points – that’s 19 adrift of leaders Liverpool - and the gap between them and 4th placed Chelsea is already 8 points, which is basically a chasm in the world of the Premier League. But in all honesty, to write off the season would be a huge mistake.

While United aren’t likely to win the league at this stage, any long-time fan of the Red Devils would remind you that they famously overturned a 12-point deficit to steal the Premier League title away from Newcastle in 1995-96. More recently – and in a better comparison – Tottenham rose to 3rd in last season’s Premier League table despite sitting in 5th when the Christmas period ended.

Thus, if United were able to sign a huge name like Koulibaly in the January transfer window – likely breaking the world transfer fee record for a defender in the process – it’d send a major message to their fans and rivals alike that they’re still looking to finish in the Champions League qualification spots this season – and that they’re still hunting for other trophies in the process, too.

Not only that, but it’d also show some faith in Solskjaer as manager – something that’d probably be a good idea even if he isn’t the long-term plan, as it’d likely get the majority of United’s other players such as Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku firmly on board with the Norwegian caretaker.

Sure, Koulibaly might cost a ton of money, but the message that his signing would send – as well as the effect he’d have on the Red Devils on the pitch – would make it completely worth it.

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Edited by Musab Abid
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