Report: Napoli set price tag for Everton target Kalidou Koulibaly
Napoli have reportedly set a price tag between €60 and €65m (£51-£55m) for centre-back and Everton target Kalidou Koulibaly.
That’s according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport‘s Friday edition that claims Aurelio di Laurentiis will make the final decision about his future despite telling the defender’s agent Fali Ramadani that a fee in the region of £51m would be enough to let go of the Senegal international.
The report also talks about Di Laurentiis claiming that a €105m (£90m) bid from Manchester United was rejected two summers ago for the player.
This was the same year when they paid a world-record fee for a defender to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester.
Now that Koulibaly’s current price tag has been revealed, Everton could be put on high alert as they have been linked with the player in the last few months.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti has worked with him during his time at Napoli and is understood to be a fan of the player he’s looking to bring to the Premier League in the summer.
A tad steep
There’s no denying the quality Koulibaly possesses, having being called ‘extraordinary’ by Pepe Reina. [Goal]
But, paying a £50m fee for a player who’s already turned 30 is something the club will mull a great deal over before sanctioning the deal.
He would certainly improve our defence but would need replacing within a few years. With age, players tend to suffer more injuries and that could be another factor to be considered if the two parties begin negotiations.
Instead, we should be looking at players in their early or mid-20s that are still to peak and can reach the next level playing for Ancelotti. Players with Premier League experience would be preferred as we’ve seen overseas recruits tend to take some time in getting used to the English game.
All in all, if Napoli are unwilling to budge on their valuation of the player, it’s unlikely we will be matching it this summer.
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