Wolverhampton Wanderers decided against bringing Faouzi Ghoulam to Molineux in the summer and Kalidou Koulibaly was thrilled to see the left-back stay at Napoli, speaking to Napoli Magazine.
It has been a difficult couple of years for the 29-year-old Algeria international.
After the emergence of Mario Rui and a series of injuries Ghoulam, one of the finest attacking full-backs in European football not long ago, slipped down the pecking order at the Stadio San Paolo.
And while he has yet to re-establish himself as a regular starter under Gennaro Gattuso, with all three of his Serie A appearances this season coming from the bench, Koulibaly believes it’s only a matter of time before Ghoulam is wreaking havoc down the wing like the good old days.
“Ghoulam, for me, is already back to his best. It is the coach who has to make the choices. He will give the opportunity to Faouzi,” says Koulibaly, the £90 million-rated defender who joined Napoli one year after the Algerian in 2014.
“Ghoulam is a brother to me. Since I arrived at Naples, I am always with him. Our families are always together. I am convinced he will always be ready at the right time.
“I know Lorenzo is the first captain but we must not forget there are other (leaders) in the team. (Dries) Mertens, Ghoulam, (Elseid) Hysaj and Mario Rui are the ones who talk the most in the dressing room.”
In August, Alfredo Pedulla reported Wolves were in talks to bring Ghoulam to England. However, his £60,000-a-week wages proved to a substantial stumbling block (Gazzetta dello Sport).
By the time the window closed, Wolves had decided to put their faith in the younger, quicker and decidedly cheaper Rayan Ait-Nouri, signing the France U21 star on loan from Angers.
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