Reported Everton target Kalidou Koulibaly was once worth £100 million but no longer, former Napoli defender Leandro Rinaudo says in quotes reported by AreaNapoli.
Now, there are two ways to read into this if you’re an Everton fan.
On one hand, the Toffees will never have a better chance to sign one of the finest centre-halves on the planet, with his market value falling to somewhere in the region of £45 million.
On the other, there is a reason why Koulibaly is suddenly available for a cut-price sum – and not everything can be blamed on the COVID crisis.
Two years ago, during their time together at the Stadio San Paolo, Carlo Ancelotti insisted that there was no one better in world football than his ever-reliable Senegal international (Independent).
Flash forward to 2021 and, following Napoli’s regression from title challengers to Europa League hopefuls, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Koulibaly is not quite as impenetrable as he once was.
“In Serie A, he reached the peak of his career with Maurizio Sarri and established himself at European level (between 2015 and 2018,” said Rinaudo to Il Sogno Nel Cuore.
“That was the time to sell him. Today, however, it is difficult. Just think of selling Koulibaly for the kind of figures (Napoli) rejected in the past, because he is no longer the defender of before.
“Are Kalidou’s performances a mirror of those of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has declined? Yes.
“Napoli expects to collect 100 million from his sale but, in the last two years, Koulibaly has proven to be no longer worth that figure.”
Tuttomercatoweb reports that Everton could cash in on Yerry Mina to raise funds for Koulibaly.
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