According to a recent report by the Independent, Manchester City are set to compete with Manchester United for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly this summer. The same source has also stated that both Mancunian clubs hold a strong interest in recruiting the Senegalese powerhouse whose price-tag could be slashed from £100m to £70m due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Koulibaly’s Bittersweet Season At Naples
The Serie A defender has endured an injury-ravaged campaign at the Stadio San Paolo. However, he has done well to find some consistency whenever he has gotten a chance to feature at the heart of Gennaro Gattuso’s defence. The Senegalese international has participated in 27 matches for the Naples outfit this term, picking up seven yellow cards and one red card in the process across multiple competitions. Koulibaly’s poor disciplinary record has taken some shine off what has been another impressive season for him so far.
The France-born talent has been a dominant force inside his own half based on his average of 2.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game in the Serie A and the UEFA Champions League this season. He has protected the ball well when distributing it to his teammates as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 90.5% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Koulibaly is the current skipper of the Senegalese national team and has done well to lead his country to a runners-up finish in the last edition of the African Cup of Nations. He has secured 33 senior caps for Senegal so far, netting one goal for his homeland in the process.
What Are The Senegalese Defender’s Best Attributes?
Koulibaly has the strength and determination to overpower the opposition in the defensive end of the field which explains how has managed to average over five clearances per 90 minutes in the Champions League this season. He also excels at making a few crucial interceptions for his side. However, what makes him such a great defender is his ability to command his own penalty area with authority and conviction. The Senegalese international is also a potent goal-threat from dead-ball situations in the opposition half.
Will Koulibaly Be A Dream Signing For The Citizens?
A centre-back of Koulibaly’s quality could make Man City invincible in the Premier League next season as he would potentially form a devastating defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte at the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens have been quite leaky at the back during this campaign, so recruiting the Napoli defensive ace could go a long way in addressing that problem.
Koulibaly will be a significant upgrade over Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Eric Garcia at the north-west of England. He could finally help fill the void left by Vincent Kompany’s departure last summer. With all things considered, the 29-year-old will be a dream signing for Pep Guardiola as he would help his team win even more trophies in the coming seasons.
