Napoli rejected a bid of £95 million from Manchester United for towering centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, according to club chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Koulibaly has emerged as one of the stand-out defenders in world football, having led the Partenopei to a second place finish in Serie A last season.

The 27-year-old’s majestic performances have captured the attention of a host of European clubs, most notably United.

“[Jose] Mourinho wanted him, we rejected £95 million,” De Laurentiis said. “But now it’s impossible that he leaves Napoli.”

The Senegalese international has made 174 appearances for the Naples club since joining from Genk back in 2014.