MANCHESTER UNITED have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly on the hunt for another centre-back to partner summer signing Harry Maguire, with Koulibaly thought to be high up on his list.
But the Senegal international has reaffirmed his love for Naples with a heartfelt post on Twitter.
He wrote: “This is where my children were born.
“This is where I grew up as a man and a player.
This is where my family and I feel at home.”
The tweet is accompanied by a picture of Koulibaly himself, donning a Napoli tracksuit jacket, while staring at the beautiful Naples coastline.
Koulibaly has emerged as one of Europe’s most highly-rated defenders since moving to Napoli in 2014.
The composed stopper joined the Neapolitans from Belgian side Genk, having also previously represented Metz in Ligue 2.
He has since racked up 168 appearances for the Serie A side.
It was thought that he could be considering taking advantage of the considerable interest being shown in him, with Napoli currently in turmoil behind the scenes.
They find themselves embroiled in a civil war with their own ultras, after a poor start to the season.
Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis even ordered the players to go on a boot camp to improve morale.
But the players flat out refused – with boss Carlo Ancelotti reportedly also against the idea.
This has angered the ultras further, with the club’s players even hiring bodyguards in order to stay safe.
It has also been reported that Lorenzo Insigne’s WAG has “fled Naples” to get away from the situation.
But despite this inner turmoil at the club, Koulibaly appears to have reaffirmed his desire to help the team improve their fortunes – in a blow to the Red Devils.
United could instead turn their attentions to Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, with reports in Italy linking the 24-year-old with a move to Old Trafford.
