Everton have been linked with a move for the highly-rated Napoli defender. As have Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.
Juventus’ Sami Khedira in action against Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly
Since manager Ronald Koeman arrived at Goodison Park, Everton have enjoyed a steady transformation. Under previous gaffer Roberto Martinez, the team had become almost completely reliant on trying to outscore their opponents – due to never being able to resolve their problems at the back.
But former Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has helped to fix that. Since bringing in former Swansea City captain Ashley Williams, Everton have improved at the back and defensively in general. However, they are still throwing away points on occasion, often due to silly errors.
So how can the Dutchman fix this problem? Well, bringing in a world class defender might just do the trick. The Daily Mirror has recently linked Everton with a move for Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly. The centre-half, who is one of the top young talents in Europe, currently plays for Italian giants Napoli.
The centre-half is currently rated at around £60 million by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, and many clubs appear reluctant to pay that much for the defender. However, with Everton currently sitting on the outskirts of the European places in the Premier League, the club’s wealthy new owners may feel that now is the time to break the bank for new players who could make a difference.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman
So would Koulibaly be the right signing for Everton? The defender, who is equipped with both brute strength and plenty of pace, would meet the demands of the Premier League without a doubt, and would offer Everton more agility between their centre-half pairing.
With Phil Jagielka’s time at the club surely coming close to the end, Kalidou Koulibaly would surely be a decent shot at a replacement. At the age of just 25, the Napoli defender has his best years ahead of him, and Everton might be wise to snap him up this summer.
Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli
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