Everton’s chances of signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly look all but over as the centre-back is now on the verge of signing a new contract with the Italian club.
According to La Repubblica via Tutto Napoli, the Senegal international has agreed to take a small wage cut to pen a new deal with Napoli, with Koulibaly looking set to leave the Serie A giants this summer with his contract coming to an end.
As per the report, Koulibaly is excited to remain with Napoli and is expected to replace Lorenzo Insigne this summer as the club captain, with this update a massive blow for Everton ahead of the transfer window.
Il Mattino reported in January that Everton were keen on signing Koulibaly, with the defender a target for both Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez during their times in Merseyside with the Toffees.
With TuttoMercatoWeb reporting that Napoli were once open to selling Koulibaly for £42m, a deal could have been done this summer with Everton over the French-born defender. However, the centre-back now looks set to stay with Napoli.
Indeed, with Everton’s mere Premier League existence on the line, there’s no telling which division the Toffees will even be playing in next season. And given Koulibaly’s incredible quality and reputation, signing him was always going to be a battle for Frank Lampard’s side.
Koulibaly’s contract revelation will be a wake up call for Everton
Koulibaly was always going to be an ambitious signing for Everton, and the defender’s decision to sign a new contract with Napoli should serve as a wake-up call for the Toffees over the calibre of players this should be looking to bring in this summer.
This campaign has seen Everton fall off further than any supporters have seen in years, and Lampard has a massive job on his hands in the transfer window to build a quality squad that can return to the heights of the Premier League and give fans something to be hopeful about.
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