According to a recent report by Manchester Evening News, Manchester City have no interest in securing the services of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli during this ongoing summer transfer window. The same source has revealed that the Serie A defensive ace is not a part of Pep Guardiola’s summer wishlist and the Citizens are not willing to pay Napoli’s high asking price as the figure is too expensive for a player who is 28.
Koulibaly’s Sensational Rise In Italian Football
The Senegalese international had another impressive season with the Naples side after putting in a string of dominant performances under Carlo Ancelotti’s guidance in the previous campaign. Koulibaly had featured in 48 matches for Napoli, registering two goals while creating one assist across all competitions.
On the defensive side, the Saint-Dié-des-Vosges born centre-half has made 1.7 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 3.9 clearances per match for the Italian giants in the Serie A last season (Stats taken from Whoscored).
The 28-year-old has established himself amongst the best centre-backs in European football through his performances over the past couple of campaigns. Hence, Man City’s reluctance to recruit him because of his age seems like a mistake as he has all the qualities needed to be successful in England.
The former KRC Genk defensive ace has also represented Senegal in 32 international matches and has got one goal to his name thus far. At 28, Koulibaly is currently at the peak of his playing career which the Citizens could have benefited from over the next few years.
What Will The Senegalese Defender Offer On The Pitch?
Koulibaly is a dominant force inside his own half and can time his challenges to perfection, which enables him to intercept possession for his teammates. He is also an unstoppable force in the air, which makes him a significant goal-threat from dead ball situations. There is no doubt that Guardiola’s decision to not go after Koulibaly could come back and haunt Man City especially when so many of their European rivals are ready to spend big to acquire some quality talents this summer.
Overlooking Koulibaly: Big Mistake By Guardiola?
All in all, it feels like the Mancunian outfit are making a mistake by not considering bringing Koulibaly to the Etihad Stadium in this off-season as top-class defenders like the Senegalese international are quite hard to come by these days.
