Arsenal are hoping to secure the signature of Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly this summer. According to recent reports, the Gunners are ready to battle it out with fellow English clubs in pursuit of the Senegalese international’s signature during this ongoing transfer period.
Some sources are now claiming that the Serie A side are bracing themselves for offers from a whole host of English clubs which include the Gunners along with Chelsea and Manchester United. Koulibaly has put in a number of solid displays at the backline for the Naples side during the course of last season which has not gone unnoticed.
However, it is expected that the Italian giants are ready to fight hard in order to retain their talented centre-back beyond this summer. They are ready to demand a massive fee in the region of £85m for the Senegalese defensive ace.
If the North Londoners can match their demands, then Koulibaly would become the most expensive defender in the history of football overshadowing the massive £75m fee that Liverpool paid to secure the signature of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton back in January. The contributions of Koulibay has played an integral part in Napoli’s recent success under Maurizio Sarri. He had made 45 appearances for Napoli last season and has 5 goals and one assist to his name across all competitions.
The Gunners only managed to secure a 6th placed finish in the Premier League last season which will see them miss out on UEFA Champions League football for at least another year. Hence, they are in dire need to bring in some top-class players in this summer transfer window so that they can compete for major trophies next year.
The addition of Koulibaly will undoubtedly bolster Emery’s defensive options ahead of the new season. Arsenal have a whole host of defenders such as Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Nacho Monreal, Rob Holding and Callum Chambers competing for a starting berth at the Emirates Stadium. The potential acquisition of Koulibaly will add more competition for places within the Gunners squad and improve their team significantly in the upcoming campaign.
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At 26, the Senegalese international still has his peak years ahead of him which the London giants could look to capitalise on, in the years to come. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Koulibaly and whether the Gunners can manage to convince him to join Unai Emery’s revolution at North London club next season.
