Kalidou Koulibaly remains a defensive target for Manchester City, who are reportedly preparing a new bid for the Napoli man.
The news is being reported by Fabrizio Romano, who details that Napoli will refuse to lower their valuation of €75 million for the player despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The player is reported to have also already agreed personal terms with the Manchester club.
Manchester City Preparing New Koulibaly Bid
How a Deal Could be Constructed This Summer
Manchester City have already displayed their willingness to spend big on defenders this summer with the £41 million signing of Nathan Aké from Bournemouth.
Napoli star Koulibaly remains a key transfer target for the club even after the completion of that deal, but will not come cheap for Pep Guardiola‘s side this summer.
Impressive performances over recent seasons have seen the 29-year-old attract interest from a number of clubs in Europe. However, such interest has led Napoli to value the Senegal captain at €75 million.
Manchester City will need to match that valuation if they are to secure Koulibaly’s services this summer. Importantly, Napoli are willing to negotiate a deal for their star asset that involves add-ons. This means an up-front fee is not a required component of any deal, so it remains possible for City to come to an agreement with the Serie A side.
How Kalidou Koulibaly Would Improve Manchester City
An overall outlay of €75 million for a 29-year-old player is a hefty fee for any club to part ways with. However, as well as his experience, Koulibaly is a player who can offer a lot to Pep Guardiola.
Maintaining fitness has been a problem for key defensive players at the club of late, notably French defender Aymeric Laporte. The centre-back’s enforced absence was felt heavily last season, as the player only made 15 appearances in a below-par league campaign.
Koulibaly, meanwhile, made 34 appearances in all competitions last season. The Napoli man would also add steel and composure to a defence that was often accused of being a soft touch over the course of the last campaign.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
