Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed that Manchester United made a £95m offer for defender Kalidou Koulibaly before Jose Mourinho was sacked.
News emerged earlier this week that the Red Devils had been preparing a big-money bid for the 27-year-old in an attempt to strengthen their backline for the second half of the campaign.
However, those plans may have altered as Mourinho, who made no secret of his desire to bring in a new centre-back, was given his marching orders on Tuesday.
De Laurentiis has revealed that United chiefs did back Mourinho by tabling a mammoth offer, but it is now "impossible" for the Senegal international to leave.
"Mourinho wanted him, we rejected £95m," De Laurentiis said. "But now it's impossible that he leaves Napoli."
Koulibaly, also linked with a move to Barcelona earlier this year, only signed a new five-year deal with Napoli in September
United are also believed to still hold an interest in Tottenham Hotspur's Toby Alderweireld.
Daniel Lewis
