According to an exclusive piece of news courtesy of le10sport, Liverpool are currently in ‘pole position‘ to sign Napoli ace Kalidou Koulibaly this summer – and the Reds appear set to offer him a ‘very good salary‘ as Jurgen Klopp scours the market for Virgil van Dijk’s future centre-back partner.
Koulibaly, who has started 14 Serie A games for the club this season, is currently viewed as one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe – but chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis looks set to hold firm on his lofty €100 million (£88 million) price tag as top clubs reportedly take notice of the defender.
Should Koulibaly be Liverpool's main summer target?
Yes, worth every penny
No, Werner must be top of the list
As well as the Reds, bitter rivals Man United have also made an ‘offer‘ for the 28-year-old – with Newcastle apparently handing the player an extravagant wage option before Klopp’s side and the Red Devils jumped ahead in pole position for his signature.
Indeed, while it’s debatable whether sporting director Michael Edwards would want to pay a huge £88m for a centre-back who is approaching his 30s, this le10sport report claims that Liverpool are currently battling United for his favour and remain in ‘pole position’ to sign him.
Described as ‘dominating‘ in a scout report from FourFourTwo last year, Koulibaly has attracted no shortage of praise, with rival boss Carlo Ancelotti comparing him to the likes of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta according to a piece from the BBC.
Ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez also apparently scouted the player personally when he was manager at Napoli, highlighting the notion he has been turning the heads of football’s top figures for some time.
Whether or not Edwards does decide to splash the cash is a different matter, but one thing may be certain, he could be worth the money.