Napoli Defender Koulibaly Wants Barcelona Move

Despite the impending arrival of Andreas Christensen on a free transfer from Chelsea, Barcelona remains intent on signing another central defender in the summer window.

While options like Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde have been considered, the Catalans have settled in on Napoli mainstay Kalidou Koulibaly as the most viable transfer target to strengthen their backline, reports SPORT.

The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Serie A giants and has turned down a fresh proposal from the club to extend his deal. A seasoned campaigner with years of top-level experience and available data bargain, Koulibaly would be a feasible option for Barça.

The report adds that Napoli would be open to selling the Senegalese centre-half for a fee of €35 million, and Koulibaly, for his part, is open to signing for Barcelona, which will bolster the Catalan giants’ chances of signing the former KRC Genk defender.

The €35 million van valuation is a fair one, considering the quality and the experience that Koulibaly will bring to the table. However, considering Barça’s financial situation, it might prove to be a tricky proposition.

But the Blaugrana might have an ace up their sleeve as Napoli are interested in out-of-favour midfielder Miralem Pjanic. The Bosnian is returning from his loan spell in Turkey and is expected to be on the move again in the summer.

With Napoli interested, Barcelona could consider offering Pjanic as part of the deal for Koulibaly. The pair also share the same agent in Fali Ramadani, which could also help in a potential swap deal.

Ramadani will be meeting Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis this week and it could prove pivotal in negotiations about the future of Koulibaly. With the 30-year-old not wanting to extend his contract and keen to move to Camp Nou, a deal could be possible in the summer.

Source: Barca Universal