Man Utd and Liverpool have both been linked with a swoop for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, but it’s suggested that they will have to dig deep into their pockets to afford him.
The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the top centre-halves in Europe having become a fundamental figure for Napoli at the back in recent seasons.
From his defensive solidity to his composure and quality in possession, he has the all-round game which arguably sets him apart from many other top defenders.
As noted by the Mirror, Liverpool have been linked with an interest in the Senegal international, while Calciomercato report that Man Utd are also keen on bolstering their options at the back with the towering defensive ace.
However, it’s added in the latter report, which comes via the paper edition of La Repubblica, that Napoli have no intention of green lighting an exit for Koulibaly for anything less than €100m.
That could in turn be a major blow for any interested party as that is a huge fee to have to splash out on him, and coupled with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it remains to be seen if clubs are even still capable of spending that kind of money this summer in the transfer market.
What is clear though is that partnering Koulibaly with either Virgil Van Dijk or Harry Maguire would allow either Liverpool or Man Utd to boast one of the top centre-half pairings in Europe, as they would form a formidable partnership in the backline.
Given the Merseyside giants already have the best defensive record in the Premier League, they would certainly become even more difficult to break down and a nightmare for opponents, but that is a huge transfer fee and so time will tell if they either drop out as a result or try to reach a compromise with Napoli.