Manchester City’s hope of sealing a summer transfer of defender Kalidou Koulibaly may be over as SSC Napoli do not believe they can trust Pep Guardiola’s side, according to Calciomercato.
Koulibaly’s name has perennially been penned alongside that of our own, with Manchester City touted as one of the more likely destinations for the 29-year-old centre-half should he leave Napoli this summer.
But a deal may never occur, as City are refusing to step up and match the Serie A side’s valuation, which President Aurelio de Laurentiis had hoped would go toward strengthening Gennaro Gattuso’s squad.
Another factor standing in our way is Napoli’s belief that we are trying to make them pay for the ‘rudeness’ shown when Jorginho moved to Chelsea when it was believed the Italian was bound for the Etihad Stadium.
Jorginho’s last change of direction to south west London two years ago is understood to be the reason why Koulibaly’s agent Fali Ramadani is acting as a mediator, as we are refusing to speak directly with De Laurentiis.
Napoli, though, feel this stance has left them in a position where they ‘cannot trust’ the Sky Blues to pursue Koulibaly, while Calciomercato add that we are also considering a swoop for Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez.
Is Koulibaly worth spending €70m on after landing Ake for £40m?
Yes
No
It has previously been suggested that a deal for Koulibaly may already have been brushed off the table due to a variety of issues, including our refusal to speak directly with Napoli and a reluctance to lodge a new offer matching the Serie A side’s €75million (£68.7m) valuation.
The difficult relationship shared between Napoli and City has been a prevalent factor in negotiations over Koulibaly’s future dragging out for so long, and will likely continue to play a key role in matters until either we walk away or the Senegalese star arrives in England.
Should we walk away from the table, Paris Saint-Germain could become Koulibaly’s new side as Calciomercatio also claim the Ligue 1 powerhouse have submitted a concrete offer of €59m (£54m) – €52m (£47.6m) upfront with €7m (£6.4m) in add-ons – in the hope of convincing Napoli to cash-in while they can.
With just over two weeks left of the window, it remains to be seen if De Laurentiis will be willing to lower his valuation or risk leaving Gattuso with a squad below the standard they require to challenge Juventus and Inter Milan for Serie A honours.