Farhad Moshiri refused to sell out for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly in 2016 – but he could be a transformative signing for Everton.
Everton’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has not been afraid to throw his money around in the transfer market since taking over in 2016 but that does not mean he has no appreciation of value.
Moshiri told talkSPORT last year that Everton tried to sign highly-rated centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli – only to be told by hard-nosed president Aurelio di Laurentiis that the Senegal international would not be leaving the Stadio San Paolo for less than £60 million.
“It is just monopoly money, it doesn’t mean anything,” a clearly irate Moshiri admitted.
Two years on, however, and it appears that Napoli could be tempted to drop their price-tag – if only by a few million. Calciomercato report that long-time admirers Chelsea will make another approach for Koulibaly at the end of the current campaign – and the Serie A leaders may be willing to accept a fee as low as £53 million.
From impossible to just improbable?
While Everton would still be forced to pay so-called ‘silly money’, The Toffees have shown a willingness in recent months to pay over the odds for players they genuinely believe could improve the squad.
And there’s little doubt that Koulibaly, who has evolved into one of the world’s top centre-backs under Maurizio Sarri, would improve almost every team in Europe – not to mention an Everton side who have shipped sloppy goals on a regular basis this season.
Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams aren’t getting any younger and, in Koulibaly, Everton would potentially sign the first ready-made world class player of the Moshiri era.
The problem, however, is Everton’s current standing just a few points above the relegation zone is hardly likely to make Koulibaly consider swapping Naples for Merseyside.
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