Napoli reportedly turned down a whopping €90m bid from Manchester for defender Kalidou Koulibaly before the end of the English transfer window.
Unitedhad been courting a new centre back throughout the summer after a season in which their defensive inefficiencies shone through, with Matthijs de Ligt, Koulibaly and Harry Maguire all on their shortlist at various times.
Ultimately, the Red Devils opted for the Englishman in an arrangement worth around £80m from Leicester, but not before they had attempted to get a deal over the line for the talented Senegalese international.
According to a report from Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Calciomercato, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had a late charge for Koulibaly, to the tune of £83m, turned down by the Partenopei, prompting them to finally make the long-mooted move for Maguire.