If football had a “what-if” museum, Kalidou Koulibaly would probably have his own wing in the Manchester United section. Imagine it: the Senegalese wall striding into Old Trafford in 2018, £100 million lighter in Napoli’s pocket, and Mourinho smirking like a man who just found the last slice of pizza. Instead, United pivoted a year later and handed Leicester £80 million for Harry Maguire — and football history veered off in a slightly wobbly, occasionally meme-worthy direction.
Kalidou Koulibaly: The One Who Almost Was
According to sources, United tabled a colossal €100 million bid for Koulibaly back when he was Europe’s defensive darling — quicker than a Netflix renewal and twice as reliable. Napoli rejected it. Carlo Ancelotti reportedly told Koulibaly, “Stay and we’ll win the league.” (Spoiler: they didn’t.) Koulibaly, taxi booked and heart set on England, was basically halfway to the airport before Ancelotti sweet-talked him into unpacking.
The Butterfly Effect at Old Trafford
Fast-forward to 2019: Maguire arrived, carrying the burden of being football’s most expensive defender and the world’s most analysed forehead. Has he justified that price? Not entirely. But he’s been dependable, occasionally heroic, and — in classic Maguire fashion — capable of turning Anfield boos into pin-drop silence with a late winner. Somewhere, Koulibaly might’ve smiled in Saudi Arabia, sipping tea and wondering what could have been.
The Author’s Take: Sliding Doors and Second Chances
Football loves irony more than it loves VAR drama. Had Kalidou Koulibaly joined United, perhaps the club’s defensive era would’ve looked sturdier — or maybe he’d have met the same fate: memes, magnifying glasses, and Monday morning debates. Destiny, it seems, has a cheeky sense of humour.
Now, as Maguire closes in on a contract renewal, one can’t help but think — in football, timing is everything. Koulibaly missed his, but legends aren’t always defined by transfers. Sometimes, they’re shaped by the near misses that make fans dream “what if?”
As featured on ManUNews.com
