The Napoli defender has opened up about his future.
Napoli centre-back has dropped a huge transfer hint following his never-ending speculation on leaving the Naples this summer. The Senegalese defender is one of the in-demand centre-backs in the transfer market, with clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool following him closely. Amidst such speculations, Koulibaly has talked about his future with Napoli.
He said:
“I would love to stay at Napoli for life, but I can’t make promises.
I am part of the project and at the end of the season, I will speak to the directors.”
This has now given a huge boost for all the potential suitors, while PSG had already pulled out of the transfer race for the Senegalese international.
Man City could be a potential destination for Koulibaly as Guardiola is in desperate need of quality centre-backs, who can fill the void left by Vincent Kompany last summer. The Sky Blues have also received a huge boost ahead of the transfer window after seeing their European ban got uplifted. City have also included the Partenopei star as one of the potential targets this summer.
Liverpool could also look to make a move for the Senegalese defender, with Dejan Lovren likely to leave Anfield this summer. The duo of Virgil van Dijk and Koulibaly would be a dream for teams in the world and the Reds also have the pulling power to lure such high profile names, given their current status as the Premier League champions.
Nevertheless, Koulibaly will probably cost around €100m, insisted by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis last month.
“If City or United or PSG with €100m (£90m) showed up, I would think about it [selling Koulibaly] and it is probable that they [the player] would leave, always if their will was to leave.” – De Laurentiis said.
Koulibaly has proven himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe for the past few seasons as he had led the Napoli’s defence to finish second in the Serie A for the last two seasons. The Senegalese man is a well-rounded defender, who is adept with his ball-playing and distribution qualities while not compromising with the defensive duties either thanks to his tall build.
Moreover, the Partenopei will miss out on Champions League next term unless they win the competition this term – an unprecedented task. It could easily make Koulibaly search for a new club, who can provide the luxury of European football.
