- Manchester United heighten interest in Juventus star
- Liverpool and Aston Villa still in the mix
- Do United need a new centre-back?
Manchester United are reportedly intensifying their interest in Juventus centre-back Pierre Kalulu, as the Red Devils look to strengthen their backline ahead of the 2026/27 season, when they will be fighting across four fronts.
The squad already boast an extremely strong group of centre-backs, and the United hierarchy views this position as ‘well-stocked’, but still wants to add further depth ahead of next season’s Champions League—provided Manchester United qualify.
United will have to beat fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Aston Villa, however, with both Champions League-chasing teams keeping tabs on the French defender.
READ: Latest Manchester United news and updates
FOLLOW: Read Man Utd on Facebook, Instagram and X
Man Utd Want Kalulu
Whilst United and several Premier League clubs circle around the Frenchman, Juventus continue to insist he remains central to their long-term plans.
According to Mark Brus of CaughtOffside, Juventus want to tie Kalulu down to a new contract, offering the defender a salary rise to around €3.5 million (approximately £3 million) per year, whilst also extending his current deal by an extra season until June 2030.
Juventus hope that the move not only strengthens their relationship with the player, but also cools growing interest from abroad.
That does not mean the Bianconeri would refuse to sell if the right offer arrived. Kalulu joined Juve from AC Milan for a relatively modest fee.
The Old Lady initially paid around £2.9 million for a season-long loan before committing an additional £12.2 million to make the move permanent. Brus claims that the Italians would likely demand around €40 million (approximately £35 million), especially if Kalulu refuses to sign a new deal.
Read: Latest Manchester United news and updates
Defensive Reinforcement
Centre-back already stands as one of the strongest departments in Manchester United’s squad, but a return to the Champions League next season would stretch the squad across four competitions and place even greater demand on depth.
United already have five senior centre-backs: Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven, and Leny Yoro. Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui have also slotted into central roles at points this season, particularly under Ruben Amorim.
The academy also continues to produce highly-rated defensive talent such as Daniel Armer and Godwill Kukonki. Despite that, the United hierarchy still wants another defender who can arrive and contribute immediately, rather than another young project still adjusting to elite-level football.
Kalulu could be that player. One of the Frenchman’s greatest strengths lies in his reliability.
Across the 2025/26 season, Kalulu missed just 149 minutes across 47 appearances. That figure would likely sit even lower had he not received a red card on Valentine’s Day in the 42nd minute against Inter Milan, forcing him to miss the remainder of that match and the entirety of Juventus’ clash with Como.
Paolo Aghemo, who has followed the defender’s rise closely, highlighted Kalulu’s growing authority during his spell in Turin.
“Pierre Kalulu is emerging as a true leader, who is a player that Cristiano Giuntoli has focused on, together with the coach in the summer market. So Kalulu is increasingly a fixed point for this Juventus. He was stratospheric in some recoveries right in Leipzig to maintain the advantage gained by Juventus.”
United will have to beat off fellow Premier League sides, however, if they want any chance of snapping him up.
Read: “Don’t See It” – Man Utd Icons Roy Keane and Paul Scholes Continue Doubting Michael Carrick
