Having established himself as a fundamental figure for Napoli, Kalidou Koulibaly’s agent has all-but ruled out the chances of a shock move to Juventus.
The 27-year-old has been with the Partenopei since 2014, making 192 appearances for the club and emerging as one of the best defenders in Europe with his form.
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Defensively solid with his physicality, reading of the game and pace, Koulibaly is also more than capable of playing out from the back, making him the ideal modern-day centre-half.
As noted by The Sun, the Senegalese international has also been linked with Man Utd who are being tipped to launch a £90m for the commanding defender this summer, and his agent’s comments will be of interest to the Red Devils too.
“Koulibaly at Juventus? He’s very close to Napoli, the club and above all to the city,” Bruno Satin told Radio Kiss Kiss, as noted by Calciomercato. “I don’t think he would ever betray them to go to Juventus, but let’s not forget that they are professional players, so if you have the chance to play on important stages, you listen, even if I repeat he is very close to Napoli.”
Ultimately, that would suggest that a move to a direct rival wouldn’t appeal to Koulibaly, but perhaps the most interesting part of Satin’s comments is the bit where he suggests that his client could ultimately be tempted by a move to play at the highest level.
In turn, if a move to Juve doesn’t appeal at the risk of souring his relationship with Napoli and their fans, then perhaps that’s a boost for Man Utd who could offer him a chance to win major honours moving forward having enjoyed a resurgence under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer since December.
With Champions League qualification back within their sights, it remains to be seen who they appoint on a permanent basis this summer to also help attract top transfer targets.
However, with Napoli continuing to fall short in their pursuit of trophies, United could offer Koulibaly a great chance of winning silverware without ‘betraying’ his current club by joining a direct rival.
