'They had no money': Napoli president aims dig at Barca as he talks Koulibaly transfer

"Kalidou Koulibaly wanted to leave, but I told him: 'I can't sell you to Barcelona as they had no money'. Then we received a proposal from Chelsea, it was impossible to say no," Napoli's president Aurelio de Laurentiis has said.

Koulibaly was indeed on Barca's agent this summer, but he was mainly viewed as an alternative to Jules Kounde. In the end, the Senegalese joined Chelsea for £33m.

As for the money, the Catalans have been able to afford Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, and both of them cost more than Koulibaly. So those comments are not entirely true.

Besides, it looks increasingly likely that we will sign our primary target in Kounde.