The European giants are in a race to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly as both the teams look to strengthen the defence.
Napoli’s spirited efforts to dethrone Juventus in Italy has helped a number of Partenopei players to rise to fame. Despite being four points behind the Turin club, the likes of Insigne, Jorginho and Dries Mertens have not gone unnoticed. And Napoli’s ever-present centre-back, Kalidou Koulibaly has also caught the attention of a number of big clubs.
Kaldiou Koulibaly has been an integral part of Napoli’s stellar form this season. The Senegal international has played 29 games in Serie A with 91.4% passing accuracy. Along with his passing, Koulibaly is also known for his calmness to play the ball out of danger and to start the attack from the back. The defender has also chipped in with 4 goals and one assist.
Madrid vs United in the transfer market:
According to the reports in Calciomercato, the 26-year old is on the radar of both Real Madrid and Manchester United. The defender is tied to a contract until 2021 but both the clubs will fight for him in the upcoming transfer window.
Manchester United are in dire need of a defensive overhaul as Smalling and Phil Jones have failed to assure the stability at the back. Jose Mourinho is in the market to find a perfect partner for Eric Bailly. Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti has been linked with the Red Devils but the Catalans will not make the transfer any easier.
Real Madrid are also in search of a defender to take the pressure off Sergio Ramos. Los Blancos also face the possibility of Manchester United stealing away Rafael Varane in the upcoming transfer window. The European champions do not have a proven centre-back on the bench and Zidane is eager to change that in the coming months.
Kalidou Koulibaly game by numbers vs Verona:
84 (94%) passes completed
3 aerial duels won
2 tackles won
1 chance created
1 take-on completed
1 goalPivotal at both ends. pic.twitter.com/fhN3gFyMbn
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 6, 2018
Koulibaly has garnered interest from Chelsea and Everton in the past but the Premier League clubs were unwilling to pat Napoli’s asking price of £60m. It is unlikely to see the Italian club reducing their asking price for the defender this time around as well.
Author’s Take:
Watch Napoli’s game, to understand why they are asking £60m for a defender. Koulibaly is a quality defender who can use his physical presence to shrug off the attackers and at the same time, he can start the attack from the back. He will be a quality addition for either of the clubs.
