George Baker
Transfer News: Everton to rival Manchester United for Kalidou Koulibaly
According to transfer news from Football Insider (h/t The Sun), Everton are set to rival Manchester United for the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly. Apparently, Napoli slashing their valuation of the player has meant that lot more clubs are after him now.
The Senegalese star is one of the best defenders in world football currently. Given United’s weakness in the position, it is no surprise that they continue to be linked with him. Both Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have failed to convince Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far.
While Harry Maguire is not without his faults, he appears to be the only centre-back who is an automatic choice right now.
Koulibaly has been linked with a move away from Napoli for some time now. However, the major stumbling block more often than not was the £89m asking price.
The Italians are now willing to accept a lower fee as we head into the summer window. Napoli have also been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and are keen to bring down their expenses.
Manager Gennaro Gattuso admitted that he would like to keep hold of the player, but is open to a sale if it comes to it. Koulibaly is one of Napoli’s best assets and with him set to hit 30 this year, this summer may be the last chance for them to make a hefty profit.
United will, however, have to compete against the likes of Bayern Munich and now Everton for his signing.
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Koulibaly would certainly improve our defence but will turn 30 this June. He is unlikely to be a long-term option and has so far failed to show off his best this season. There is still quality in the player and United snapping him up on a cut-price deal of £39m could be a decent investment.
