Barcelona reportedly hold a concrete interest in Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and are planning to make a move for him imminently.
According to Italian journalist Francesco Modugno on Sky Sport Italia (h/t CalcioNapoli24), Barcelona have a strong interest in signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Catalan giants will make a serious attempt to sign him in the coming days.
Koulibaly has been with Napoli since 2014 when he arrived from KRC Genk. Over the past eight years, the 30-year-old has established himself as one of the most reliable centre-halves across Europe. He has been linked with an exit from Napoli for several transfer windows now, but the club’s prohibitive price tag has prevented clubs from making a move.
However, Koulibaly’s current contract with Napoli expires at the end of next season, meaning he will enter the final year of his deal in the summer. And with contract talks not going as planned, the Senegalese international could be on the move at the end of the season, with Barcelona emerging as a suitor.
Barcelona already have a deal in place to bolster their defence with the addition of Andreas Christensen from Chelsea. However, question marks linger over the futures of Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza. Furthermore, Gerard Pique has been struggling with injuries of late and will slowly need to be ushered out of the first-team setup.
So, adding another top-quality centre-back would be a shrewd move by Xavi Hernandez’s side. Koulibaly, to that end, would be a fine signing for Barcelona. The 30-year-old is a vastly experienced player and has proven himself at the highest level for years now. At the same time, the defender would add a leadership presence on the field, which would help Barça replace Pique, at least in the short term.
To that end, Francesco Modugno has claimed that Barcelona are set to make a serious attempt to sign Koulibaly in the coming days. However, Barcelona could face competition from Premier League giants Chelsea in the race to sign the Napoli defender, as reports in Italy claim that the Blues are keen on signing the seasoned defender.
Chelsea are set to lose Christensen to Barcelona in the summer, while Antonio Rudiger is also poised to join Real Madrid on a Bosman deal. With Cesar Azpilicueta also linked with Barcelona, there will be vacancies in the defensive department at Stamford Bridge. So, a new world-class defender is a must for Thomas Tuchel.
Reports had indicated that the west London outfit had been offered a chance to sign Koulibaly recently, and it now seems like Chelsea are, indeed, interested in the 30-year-old. But with Barcelona also planning to launch an attempt to sign him, it remains to be seen where the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations winner ends up before the next season.
