Koulibaly has been linked to a Barcelona move for just £20 million. The Senegalese international drew the attention of manager Xavi Hernandez.
The 31-year-old’s contract with Napoli doesn’t seem to be extended after he openly stated that he’s leaving. As a result of which many European clubs are running behind his signature including Barcelona. Koulibaly has played a significant role in Napoli’s defense line and surely is a player worth signing.
Barcelona’s interest in Koulibaly
Club manager Xavi Hernandez has shown interest in Koulibaly, thanks to his skills & experience. The Spaniard looks to strengthen his defense at Camp Nou because nobody looks very promising.
The Catalans have parted ways with club legend Dani Alves by not renewing his contract and need a replacement. The club has also decided to let go of deadwood like Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, and Oscar Mingueza.
The AFCON winner is a wonderful center-back who can replace Ronald Araujo and make him play in Alves’ position. Xavi has been trying to land Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta from Chelsea. In case they don’t work out well, the Senegalese would be the next target.
Chelsea joins the race
Chelsea seems to be very keen on new signings, especially in the defense department. After losing their best CB, Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid, the club’s back four has been dented. The club’s manager Thomas Tuchel who plays 3 defenders at the back is scratching his head due to more players leaving the club.
Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have been linked with Barcelona leaving voids in Chelsea’s defense. The 2-time Champions League winners are pushing hard to land Joules Kounde from Sevilla for a price of £65 million.
Chelsea vs Barcelona
Todd Boehly has allowed the club to spend up to £200 million on new signings this year. In other words, it allows Chelsea to leave Barcelona far behind them in signing Kalidou Koulibaly. The Catalans on the other side are in €1.5 billion debt and can barely sign players.
Barcelona has been very serious in signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich which for £50 million. This puts boundaries from all sides to sign Koulibaly and lose him to the English side. The Blues are trying their level best in competing with Manchester City & Liverpool for the Premier League title.
Should Koulibaly join Barcelona?
In conclusion, the Senegalese international has seen enough of the football world and is well experienced. Xavi intends to bring in more experience like Dani Alves to inspire the youngsters. In preparing for the future, the La Liga giants would consider Koulibaly as a major asset and prioritize him if he joins Camp Nou.
He is the most complete defender in Serie A currently. He has won 344 tackles and made 14528 successful passes during his time in Italy. Kalidou also stated his interest in leaving Napoli for a bigger club and Barcelona as his top choice.
He is the ‘Destroyer’ type who likes to play short passes and win aerials. This is the playstyle Barcelona needs and he would surely have a fun time in Spain.
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