Delivering an update on the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast, ESPN football expert Gabriele Marcotti claims that there ‘was talk’ of a non-official agreement where if Napoli got an offer of £80 million or more they would let defender Kalidou Koulibaly leave – but now they are ‘at a stage’ where they don’t need to sell.
Koulibaly has been on City’s radar for some time according to recent reports, with the Daily Mail claiming he is one of our key transfer targets as Pep Guardiola plots a summer overhaul.
Who would you prefer Man City to sign?
Kalidou Koulibaly
Diego Carlos
As well as the 6ft 4 ace, who may still join the likes of Ferran Torres and Nathan Ake before our Premier League title challenge next season, Lautaro Martinez and David Alaba are also being touted with a move to the Etihad.
Marcotti’s news…
Claiming that Guardiola ‘would be happy’ to bring in a ‘Kompany-type’ natural leader, journalist Marcotti also highlights that Koulibaly would cost a fortune and it could be a heavy price to pay given the fact he is now 29-years-old.
The Senegalese international also hasn’t had his best season with Napoli by a long stretch, recently drawing criticism for his lacklustre showings since lockdown.
However, that hasn’t stopped City from reportedly weighing up a move, with the ESPN expert also stating that only arch rivals Man United could challenge us for the centre-back.
What the pundits say…
Speaking to CBS Sports via the Manchester Evening News, ex-Sky Blue favourite Micah Richards compared Koulibaly to former flop Eliaquim Mangala – a far cry from his stellar reputation in recent seasons.
“I think his price-tag is £20m less,” Richards explained on CBS.
“Everyone talks about how he is supposed to be composed on the ball, he’s aggressive but I see similarities to Mangala – and he went to City and it didn’t really work out for him there so I’m not totally convinced after that performance.”
The final verdict…
Despite past enthusiasm from both the press and fans surrounding a potential move for him, Koulibaly’s showings over the past few weeks have somewhat drawn attention to some of his flaws, but that hasn’t stopped rumours from dying down as City look to bolster a weakened defence.