In a recent report, Corriere dello Mezzogiorno provided an update on Manchester City‘s pursuit of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this summer. The local news outlet had a representative meet with Napoli’s owner Aurelio De Laurentiis on Sunday, and it was revealed that the Citizens launched a bid for the Senegalese international which was described as ‘still too low’ (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Koulibaly’s Solid Form At Naples This Season
The 29-year-old has gone through an injury-plagued season at the Stadio San Paolo. However, he has done well to discover a run of consistency at the heart of Gennaro Gattuso’s defence over the past ten months. The Senegalese international has made 29 appearances for the Italian outfit this term, picking up eight yellow cards and one red card in the process on all fronts. His poor disciplinary record has taken some shine off what has been another dominant campaign from him in the Serie A.
The Senegalese international has been a commanding presence inside his own penalty box after averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per 90 minutes in the Serie A and the UEFA Champions League this season. He has also been quite tidy with his passing as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 91.1% in league football so far (stats via whoscored).
Koulibaly is the current skipper of the Senegalese national team with one of his highlights as a captain coming in the last edition of the African Cup of Nations when he led his nation to a strong second-place finish. He has featured in 33 senior matches for Senegal, scoring one goal for his country thus far.
What Are The Senegalese Defender’s Best Strengths?
Koulibaly has the physical power to outmuscle the opposition in the air which explains how has averaged over five clearances per game in European football this season. He is proficient at getting stuck in with a few well-timed tackles and can pull off some important interceptions for his team. However, what makes him such a well-respected defender is his ability to organise the backline and keep things solid at the back. The Senegalese powerhouse can also pose a significant threat from dead-ball situations in the attacking third.
Should The Citizens Break The Bank To Land Koulibaly?
A defender of Koulibaly’s calibre could make the EFL Cup champions an unstoppable force in the Premier League next season as he would potentially link up and form a commanding defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte at the north-west of England. Man City have been quite leaky in the defensive end of the field during this campaign which was once again evident when they shipped in two poor goals versus Arsenal in their FA Cup semi-final loss last weekend. Hence, Koulibaly’s addition could go a long way in resolving that issue.
The Senegalese international will be a decent upgrade over Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Eric Garcia at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the new season. He has what it takes to fill the void left by Vincent Kompany’s exit last summer. All in all, it makes sense for Pep Guardiola to break the bank in favour of a move for Koulibaly this summer as he could potentially help Man City end their long wait for a UEFA Champions League title in the coming seasons.
