Amid ongoing speculation linking Liverpool with an interest, Napoli are said to still be demanding €100m for world-class centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly.
The 28-year-old has undoubtedly established himself as one of the top defenders in Europe having become a fundamental figure for the Partenopei in recent years.
His defensive solidity coupled with his technical quality on the ball have seen him shine in Italy, while he has taken that to the Champions League stage in recent years too.
In turn, it’s not a surprise that Napoli value him highly, but perhaps with the financial impact expected from the coronavirus pandemic, many would have predicted that his price-tag may have dropped.
However, as reported by Calciomercato, it’s suggested that Napoli are still demanding €100m for their star man, and he will remain in Naples if that fee isn’t met.
Liverpool are specifically mentioned in the report as it’s also suggested Koulibaly’s agent is struggling to make progress in talks with the Merseyside giants over the economic agreement for the player, and so it looks as though this potential transfer is still some way off from happening, if it happens at all.
The prospective Premier League champions already boast the best defence in the top flight having conceded just 21 goals in their 29 league games thus far.
Adding Koulibaly next to Virgil van Dijk in the heart of their backline in front of Alisson between the posts would undoubtedly make them even more difficult to break down, and it would surely give them added belief that they can sustain their current success for many more years to come.
That said, based on the report above, it sounds as though they’ll have to dig very deep into their pockets if they want Koulibaly, as Napoli are seemingly unwilling to lower their demands as things stand and that could be enough to force Liverpool to look elsewhere.
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