In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Manchester City‘s pursuit of Napoli centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly this summer. The Italian club are expecting Pep Guardiola’s team to launch a fresh offer, which could be worth €75m with add ons, for the Senegalese defensive ace in this off-season.
Napoli expect Manchester City to submit a new bid for Kalidou Koulibaly on next week – around €75m add ons included. Talks still progressing [so slow because of no-direct contacts between the two clubs]. Napoli are waiting for the new official bid. 🔵 @DiMarzio #MCFC #ManCity
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 4, 2020
Koulibaly’s Fine Form Despite An Injury-Struck Season
The former FC Metz youngster had another solid season at Naples after putting in a run of commanding displays as the primary centre-back of Gennaro Gattuso’s first-team. However, it is worth noting that Koulibaly’s campaign was disrupted by multiple injuries which have taken some shine off his all-round contributions at San Paolo Stadium.
The 29-year-old took part in 34 matches for his current employers in the previous campaign but failed to register a goal or an assist. The Senegalese skipper deserves a lot of credit for holding the fort at Naples last season as he averaged 2.0 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per game in the 2019-20 Serie A and the UEFA Champions League (stats via whoscored).
Koulibaly would be a dream acquisition for any top-flight side in Europe, but at 29, he won’t be a long-term solution in defence for any of his potential suitors including Man City. The Napoli sensation has already established himself among the best centre-backs in the world, so he will bolster Guardiola’s defensive options significantly and help the Mancunian club compete for major trophies in the years to come.
What Will The Senegalese International Add To Pep Guardiola’s Team?
Standing at 1.87m, Koulibaly is an intimidating presence at the heart of the defence and can snuff out the danger quickly at the back. He is an excellent tackler which explains how he can be so useful at earning possession back for his team. The 33-time Senegalese international can dominate the aerial battle with the opposition and is not afraid to clean his lines when required. He can even put his body on the line when attempting to block a goal-bound strike inside his half.
Will Koulibaly Be A Wise Choice For Man City This Summer?
A centre-back of Koulibaly’s quality would be a marquee signing for Man City heading into the new campaign. He could potentially strike up a dominant partnership with Aymeric Laporte in defence. More importantly, the experienced defender will be a significant upgrade over John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Nathan Ake at the Etihad Stadium.
Koulibaly has the skillset required to be a success story in English football, so the Mancunian giants would be wise to orchestrate a move to land the Serie A star ahead of the closure of the summer transfer window in October.
However, one can argue whether Koulibaly can stay injury-free and has got what it takes to perform at a high level in the Premier League if Guardiola can convince him to join his revolution at the north-west of England.
