Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly has reportedly rejected the Serie A side’s latest contract offer, with the defender on the radar for both Aston Vlla and Everton.
According to Il Mattino via GIFN, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has failed to convince the Senegal international to stay with the club following the latest round of contract talks, with a summer exit now a strong possibility for Koulibaly.
- Three players who could replace Fernandinho at Manchester City
- £166m superstar among best XI of under-23 free agents this summer
The 30-year-old centre-back is regarded by many as one of the top players in his position in football, with Carlo Ancelotti once hailing Koulibaly as ‘the best in the world’ during their time together with the Partenopei.
With Everton and Villa reportedly interested in Koulibaly, alongside FC Barcelona, the defender is not short of options this summer, with Napoli also valuing their star defender at just £34m.
Moreover, with Koulibaly rejecting Napoli’s latest contract offer for the defender, the door for the centre-back’s exit has only grown larger, especially with the Napoli star in the prime of his career.
Indeed, whilst Villa have recently confirmed the signing of Diego Carlos, adding Koulibaly to their defensive arsenal would be an incredible coup for Steven Gerrard’s side, unless Frank Lampard’s Everton can win the race for the centre-back.
Koulibaly can’t make Carlos error and must join top-tier club this
Villa signing Carlos raised a lot of eyebrows around the European footballing world and mainly had fans scratching their heads as to why a top centre-back would join a club that last season finished 14th, and for Koulibaly, he can’t be making a similar move this summer.
The Senegal international has been at the top of his game for years and has played regular European football during that time, and whilst a Premier League move is enticing for Koulibaly, the defender is simply too good to be moving to a Villa or Everton this window.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
