Kalidou Koulibaly

[BringBackSwales]

This is exactly the point. I think everyone agrees that we need more/better defensive options. So, if not Koulibaly, then who?

Uppemecano for me, although unfortunately I think he has just signed a new contract with Leipzig

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

With UEFA / CAS put to bed, the one nightmare thought that stalks me is that Koulibaly signs for Liverpool or Man Utd. It's quite possible. It's probably the right time for Napoli to cash in given his age.

It won't be Liverpool mate - they've already issued a sanctimonious briefing through their PR team (the UK media) that they refuse to break their 'policy' of over-paying for players over 28, or some such guff.

United are always a possibility, and I wouldn't rule Chelsea out either - their defence needs completely re-shaping next season, and an experienced head to help bring gher kids along is probably exactly what they need.

 

[skyblues]

With UEFA / CAS put to bed, the one nightmare thought that stalks me is that Koulibaly signs for Liverpool or Man Utd. It's quite possible. It's probably the right time for Napoli to cash in given his age.

Yeah Koulibaly joining Liverpool has been my fear since they signed Van Dijk. That back four would never let anything in but it doesn’t seem realistic.

If I were Klopp, I’d definitely sign Koulibaly. That’s at least a five year partnership with the two best CBs in the world, while Gomez would be 3rd choice and learning from the best. Luckily though I don’t see that happening.

 

[Gabriel]

It won't be Liverpool mate - they've already issued a sanctimonious briefing through their PR team (the UK media) that they refuse to break their 'policy' of over-paying for players over 28, or some such guff.

United are always a possibility, and I wouldn't rule Chelsea out either - their defence needs completely re-shaping next season, and an experienced head to help bring gher kids along is probably exactly what they need.

Koulibaly could always pick up the phone and call Benitez, Sarri, or Ancelotti and ask them for advice on the merits of moving to Chelsea. Lovely area but a managerial merry-go-round, rather like Napoli. If he has sense, he’ll go where he’s the final piece of the jigsaw rather than the foundation of a rebuild.

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

Koulibaly could always pick up the phone and call Benitez, Sarri, or Ancelotti and ask them for advice on the merits of moving to Chelsea. Lovely area but a managerial merry-go-round, rather like Napoli. If he has sense, he’ll go where he’s the final piece of the jigsaw rather than the foundation of a rebuild.

True - but it didn't stop any of those Managers going there, and Napoli is hardly a bedrock of managerial stability.

For what it's worth, I think he'll either stay at Napoli with an extension, or come to City. I'm not convinced he's that desperate to leave that he'll just go to the highest bidder. Could be wrong on this though - one thing we've learned with de Laurentiis over the years is that he loves to publically take the piss out of City to make himself feel like the big man in European football politics.

 

[walker_is_faster]

 

[Gabriel]

True - but it didn't stop any of those Managers going there, and Napoli is hardly a bedrock of managerial stability.

For what it's worth, I think he'll either stay at Napoli with an extension, or come to City. I'm not convinced he's that desperate to leave that he'll just go to the highest bidder. Could be wrong on this though - one thing we've learned with de Laurentiis over the years is that he loves to publically take the piss out of City to make himself feel like the big man in European football politics.

I acknowledged that Napoli is a managerial merry-go-round, but managers are also a different commodity; Chelsea are in a state of flux and for a player entering the final stages of his career that should not appeal.

I wouldn’t expect any Napoli player to mouth off about wanting to leave Naples (social suicide), so we shouldn’t expect to hear any ‘encouraging’ noises. De Laurentiis upsets everyone, not just us, indeed he’s currently having a very unseemly spat with Barcelona, but we need the player and he needs the money. Champions League football has been of immeasurable value to Napoli, and that will very likely not be there next season.

As an aside, this breakdown of their recent transfer of Osimhen from Lille shows how they are having to deal when there is so little cash around, and we’ll know that and exploit that when negotiating for Koulibaly.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/08/osimhen-to-get-e2-5m-if-napoli-win-champions-league/

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

I acknowledged that Napoli is a managerial merry-go-round, but managers are also a different commodity; Chelsea are in a state of flux and for a player entering the final stages of his career that should not appeal.

I wouldn’t expect any Napoli player to mouth off about wanting to leave Naples (social suicide), so we shouldn’t expect to hear any ‘encouraging’ noises. De Laurentiis upsets everyone, not just us, indeed he’s currently having a very unseemly spat with Barcelona, but we need the player and he needs the money. Champions League football has been of immeasurable value to Napoli, and that will very likely not be there next season.

As an aside, this breakdown of their recent transfer of Osimhen from Lille shows how they are having to deal when there is so little cash around, and we’ll know that and exploit that when negotiating for Koulibaly.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/08/osimhen-to-get-e2-5m-if-napoli-win-champions-league/

True - he is an awkward bastard for anyone to deal with. He does, however, seem to appraoch making a spectacle of City with particular relish.

That stunt with the Cavani press conference and the helicopter waiting to take him to Manchester a few years back was particularly flamboyant - and the whole Jorginho car crash 2 summers ago, and his self-satisfied ponfiticating to the media after the event, demostrated a level of melodrama he doesn't seem quite as inspired to stoop to with other clubs. But I may be indulging in a spot of over-sensitivity on this one!

You're absolutely right that their financial situation this summer is not good at all, so they could do with a big juicy transfer fee hitting their bank. Arguably this could be all the more reason for him to try and wring every last Euro out of the Koulibaly deal though.

Enter the Rags and dynamite Ed's magic wallet!

 

[Mancity1980]

To be fair to that goon, we enabled the stunt.

Napoli named a price. We agreed terms with the player, we offered close to the price, but refused to go the last little bit to complete it, because we were convinced the player only wanted us and we could push that and wait all summer. Player than went on holiday, chelsea changed a manager, his head turned, chelsea offered what Napoli were asking. Be bloody silly not to accept it. It was the player that messed us over, more than the club. To me that doesn't mean we wouldn't do business with them, as painful as it seemed, we were just as stubborn as they were. Part of the transfer game.

Agree though, backfired on both the player and chelsea.

Clearly city are still a bit annoyed with Napoli and this relatively protracted transfer reflects that.

 

[simon23]

Uppemecano for me, although unfortunately I think he has just signed a new contract with Leipzig

He has