Premier League 2018-19: 3 reasons why Manchester United should sign Kalidou Koulibaly in January

#2 His signing would send a message that 2018-19 shouldn't be written off just yet

Signing Koulibaly would send a message that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer means business

After firing Jose Mourinho and replacing him until the end of the season with a caretaker boss – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – it’d be easy for both the United board and their fans to almost write 2018-19 off as a disastrous season, and simply look forward to the summer and the 2019-20 season looming over the horizon.

After all, the Red Devils are currently on 35 points – that’s 19 adrift of leaders Liverpool - and the gap between them and 4th placed Chelsea is already 8 points, which is basically a chasm in the world of the Premier League. But in all honesty, to write off the season would be a huge mistake.

While United aren’t likely to win the league at this stage, any long-time fan of the Red Devils would remind you that they famously overturned a 12-point deficit to steal the Premier League title away from Newcastle in 1995-96. More recently – and in a better comparison – Tottenham rose to 3rd in last season’s Premier League table despite sitting in 5th when the Christmas period ended.

Thus, if United were able to sign a huge name like Koulibaly in the January transfer window – likely breaking the world transfer fee record for a defender in the process – it’d send a major message to their fans and rivals alike that they’re still looking to finish in the Champions League qualification spots this season – and that they’re still hunting for other trophies in the process, too.

Not only that, but it’d also show some faith in Solskjaer as manager – something that’d probably be a good idea even if he isn’t the long-term plan, as it’d likely get the majority of United’s other players such as Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku firmly on board with the Norwegian caretaker.

Sure, Koulibaly might cost a ton of money, but the message that his signing would send – as well as the effect he’d have on the Red Devils on the pitch – would make it completely worth it.