Liverpool have suffered a blow in the race to sign Kalidou Koulibaly as Manchester United have made a £71m bid for the Napoli man.

The Reds have been continually linked with an interest in the Senegal international and were even reported to have made a bid for the central defender (Corriere dello Mezzogiorno via TEAMtalk).

Now, the Old Trafford outfit have put their cards on the table according to Sky Sports Italia (via The Daily Mail), with them offering £71m for the 28-year-old.

The Red Devils already spent a lot of money last summer trying to boost their defence, parting with £80m for Harry Maguire, but that has still seen them concede 30 goals throughout the campaign in the Premier League - if they want to catch the Reds at the top, they will need to improve.

Jurgen Klopp's men, meanwhile, have the best defensive record in the whole division, having shipped only 21 league goals; and Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk appear to have struck up a strong understanding, with the Reds keeping nine clean sheets in their last 12 Premier League matches with the two at centre-back.

£71m is already a huge amount for Koulibaly and if Napoli are holding out for £89m, then maybe the Reds are better off letting United take him. This news should not scare them into making a move as the Premier League leaders are already quite strong defensively.

Liverpool fans, would it be a big blow for the Reds if Koulibaly were to sign for Man United? Let us know what you think by commenting below!