Sheffield United 'reject bid' from AC Milan for wonderkid Ismaila Coulibaly - reports

Sheffield United have rejected a bid from Italian giants AC Milan for young midfielder Ismaila Coulibaly, according to reports in Belgium.
By Danny Hall
Published 11th Jan 2021, 12:37 BST
Updated 11th Jan 2021, 12:42 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The young Malian midfielder is on loan with United's sister club Beerschot, and is earning rave reviews with his performances in Belgium since being signed by United from Sarpsborg 08 in Norway.

Coulibaly has scored five times in 12 games for Beerschot, his latest coming in a 1-1 draw with Gent yesterday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And that form has reportedly caught the attention of Italian giants Milan, according to Het Laatste Nieuws in Belgium.

United included Coulibaly's name in a list of U21 players registered with the Premier League, but did not immediately apply for a visa that would enable him to play in England before shipping him to Beerschot.

“The opportunity to sign for Sheffield United was a big attraction for him,” Stephen Bettis, United's chief executive, said recently in an interview with The Athletic.

“Coulibaly knew from the start he was signing for us but going straight to Beerschot.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He found that proposition more attractive than going elsewhere. Basically, he is backing himself to be good enough to, at some stage, play for Sheffield United. A win-win for all parties.”

STVV's Mory Konate and Beerschot's Isamaila Cheikh Coulibaly fight for the ball (Photo by BRUNO FAHY/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)STVV's Mory Konate and Beerschot's Isamaila Cheikh Coulibaly fight for the ball (Photo by BRUNO FAHY/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
STVV's Mory Konate and Beerschot's Isamaila Cheikh Coulibaly fight for the ball (Photo by BRUNO FAHY/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

"Sheffield United’s recruitment department looked at him, after he was highlighted by the central group recruitment team," Bettis added.

"They saw the potential but didn’t think he was ready to play here from day one.

“This way, we got to strengthen Beerschot by signing him. They develop him but, to put it bluntly, if Chris [Wilder] says he wants him, then he gets on the next plane to England.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coulibaly admitted recently that it is his dream to one day play in the Premier League - after turning down a Champions League side to join the Blades.

And, in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen, Coulibaly revealed: "Club Brugge talked to my agent. A lot of people thought that I would go there, but in the end this project [United] was better.

"At the same time I am certain that I will play for a Premier League club in three years.

"That would be a childhood dream come true and one that is at the back of my mind."

Related topics:BelgiumAC MilanPremier League

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.