Manchester United transfer news: Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly ‘pleased’ so many clubs follow him

Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly is “pleased” to be attracting transfer interest.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for the £100million-rated defender, while Real Madrid have also been credited with interest.

The club are believed to be targeting a centre-half this summer to shore up a leaky defence that has conceded 35 league goals this season.

Koulibaly joined Napoli for £6.5million from Genk in 2014 and is regarded as one of Europe’s top defenders.

The Senegal international, 27, told Italian outlet Rai Sport: “My future? I don’t know if I’m one of the strongest defenders. I always try to give my best.

“Since I’m here, I always try to grow with Napoli.

“I have a lot of motivation to go on and I want to keep doing this.

“I am pleased that many teams follow me, but I want to demonstrate on the field that I am at the level of the greatest and I want to show it in the future.”

Koulibaly signed a new five-year deal with Napoli last August, but has seen his side lose two of its key players in the past year, with Jorginho joining Chelsea last summer and record scorer Marek Hamsik leave for Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang.

Having joined Napoli in 2007, Hamsik scored 121 goals in 520 games for the Serie A side and, following the club’s 3-1 Europa League win against FC Zurich on Thursday, Koulibaly tweeted the victory was for the former captain.

“An important and significant victory on the day when we salute Marek,” he wrote.