Having bagged just one trophy in the recently concluded season, Pep Guardiola is expected to make quite a few additions to his squad at Manchester City this summer and the latest name on their radar is Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly.
Italian news outfit la Repubblica claims that Guardiola is set to launch an offer for Koulibaly who is valued at £81m by Napoli.
City are ready to pay close to £63m but need to improve their offer to land the defender. But is he the right man for the club?
Kalidou Koulibaly: One Of The Best In Europe
Having started his senior career with Metz, the 29-year-old spent time at Genk before moving to Italy back in 2014.
He established himself in the first team straight away and his consistency has seen him grow into an important player for Napoli in the last few years.
With 42 caps for the Senegal national side and 246 Serie A appearance till date, Kalidou Koulibaly has slowly turned into one of the most trusted and experienced defenders in Europe at the moment.
Known for his strength and agility, Koulibaly is calm and composed with the ball at his feet and is an excellent passer, even under pressure.
He hardly loses duels in the air, is adept at breaking up play and is also hard to dribble past in one-on-one situations. His positioning and understanding of the game along with his ability to act as the leader of the backline are all attributes that have attracted the biggest clubs in Europe.
Lack of Champions League football at San Paolo could make it easier for City to land the Senegalese international this summer.
Right Man For City
However, Kalidou Koulibaly is still a bit reckless with his tackling and often gives fouls away. He is adept at tracking back but is found ball watching at times which is an issue Guardiola has to solve.
City are a side that dominates possession, which will mean that Koulibaly might not have to do the amount of defending he has to in Italy. While the defence has been City’s Achilles heel, the nature of pressure the Senegalese man-mountain will have to face at Etihad will be different.
This will allow the 29-year-old to express himself and he could form a solid partnership with Aymeric Laporte at the back for the club.
The likes of John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Eric Garcia and Fernandinho were options alongside the more consistent Laporte this season but a number of them are expected to exit the club this summer.
City have already signed Nathan Ake and look set to refurbish their centre-back roster.
Koulibaly was found wanting in the game against Barcelona but City will not be basing their transfer plans on 90 minutes of football. His age has also been cited by the naysayers but a good 4 years at the top of his game still remains which is why City will not be flustered too much.
If Pep can instil a sense of discipline in the much-hyped Serie A man, City will benefit immensely with a Koulibaly-Laporte partnership and given the balance elsewhere in the squad, a major chunk of their issues will be solved with this signing.
Teams like Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea have spent heavily on centre-backs and goalkeepers in the recent past and the player’s price tag will not put off City if they are determined to land him.