In a recent report, France Football has mentioned that Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly has agreed to personal terms with Manchester City this summer. It is believed that the Senegalese centre-back is happy with his life at Naples even though he can potentially double his wages if he joins Man City during this summer transfer period (via France Football).
Koulibaly’s Injury-Prone Season In Italian Football
The experienced defender remained sidelined for a lot of games in the previous campaign because of a muscle injury and later, a thigh problem. Despite his injury concerns, the 29-year-old rose to the challenge and produced several dominant displays at the centre of Gennaro Gattuso’s defence in the last term.
Koulibaly has participated in 246 matches for Napoli and has got ten goals along with five assists to his name so far. The former Genk powerhouse was once again in fine form at the Stadio San Paolo as he averaged 2.0 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per 90 minutes in the 2019-20 Serie A and the UEFA Champions League campaign. He is an accurate distributor of the ball after completing 91.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Italy (stats via whoscored).
The France-born talent is playing some of his best football in recent years, so Man City can expect him to be at his prime if they manage to sign him this summer. Koulibaly has firmly established his name alongside the world’s best centre-backs through his dominance on the defensive end of the field.
What Will The Senegalese International Bring To The Table?
Koulibaly is a powerful defender who can outmuscle the opposition to win a lot of 50-50 aerial duels inside his half. Standing at 1.87m, the 33-time Senegalese international can be a real handful for any opponent at both ends of the field. He is also one of the best tacklers in the game and possesses excellent defensive awareness to snuff out the danger quickly for his team.
Will Koulibaly Be A Dream Signing For Man City This Summer?
At 29, Koulibaly has still got a handful of years left in his locker to play at his peak which Guardiola will look to benefit from in the coming seasons. However, his arrival could signal the end for John Stones, who has endured a difficult spell at the north-west of England thus far.
A defender of Koulibaly’s quality is hard to come by these days, so Man City would be wise to orchestrate a move to bring him to the Etihad Stadium in this off-season. The Senegalese skipper will immediately make Pep Guardiola’s side the favourites to win the Premier League title next season as he will significantly enhance the quality of their first-team. With all things considered, Koulibaly will be a dream acquisition for the Mancunian giants as he could potentially help them compete for the UEFA Champions League crown in the upper echelons of European football.
