Kalidou Koulibaly

[Ric]

But this guy isn’t like signing Van Dijk. He comes with all the caveats of signing someone from a foreign league, a league where Smalling, Ashley Young and Sanchez look world beaters. He then comes with the down side of being 29, coming off a comparatively bad season, and needing to adapt to a new system.

He may turn out well, I hope he does because we desperately need, at the very least, a competent centre half, but this isn’t like signing Van Dijk.

These things don’t need to be immediately definitive by comparing him to the best defender in our league.

At his age it’s a huge gamble at the price quoted, in a Covid market, and in our system there’s no certainty that he’ll be the answer.

The scepticism is well merited in my opinion and deserves to be debated.

The van Dijk analogy was merely about his age. Saying he’s too old at 29 seems ridiculous to me. He’s probably at his peak.

 

[mike1923]

Realistically we should of stumped up the money for Van Dijk but that's in the past. Koulibaly will improve us give the lad a chance. We let Savic go too when we should of kept him too.

memory might be tricking me but Savic was gash for us. Didn’t we have to take him off at half time at Anfield because Bellamy was targeting him and ripping him a new one? Nastasic was a more exciting prospect for me. Although Savic is now the better player, which i suppose was your point!

 

[Ric]

A younger player is much easier to sell on if it doesn't work out, that's just common sense. If Ozil was 25 and not 31, someone would probably take a gamble, at his age now I highly doubt anyone will.

No one would take on Ozil’s wages right now regardless of age imo.

 

[leo_city]

I don't think Koulibaly is as good as Van Dyke.

He's not far off either. Slot him in that Liverpool side and take out Van Dijk you'd see the same outcome for them. If anything, he outshined Van Dijk at Naples twice during their CL games.

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

This would be Koulibaly's chance to win major trophies. What we do not need s an upand coming player, but a leader at the top of his game.

Did you watch City last season? We're crying out for a player like this.

Koulibaly is made for us. He is the only defender I have seen who one on one has destroyed Salah. And he's perfect for the Premier League. City fans will love him....if we sign him

Of course I watched City last season Covid permitting
Did you ? ?
my preference is young and hungry yes it may be his last chance He maybe awesome He may also arrive take time to adapt and struggle
Like I say just my preference
Sane young and hungry Nolito established and his last chance to win something
Which of those would you take ?

 

[Marvin]

I think the point is that they are both considered to be among a very small group of elite central defenders.

if someone doesn't rate Koulibaly then they must have watched him on a bad day. if I had to name the best two central defenders in the current game I think I'd pick Koulibaly and VVD. City would be formidable defensively if we Laporte recaptures his form from 2018/19 and Koulibaly signs, and we've been defensively suspect for a while. I know we didn't concede many in 2018/19 but I think that was because the side was so dominant. Kompany was struggling in his latter years.

 

[dadv1]

Big difference. Mahrez came from a Leicester side where he was the star player and played in an entirely different, counter attacking system. Hence he struggled adapting to playing majority weeks vs low blocks and having so much to do off and on the ball with linkup play.

Koulibaly's best football came under Sarri's system, which is a budget version of Pep's, if he was good under that system with barely half the quality, I can't imagine him being worse under Pep. Adaptability is something you can factor in but that's where I think it's less important because of his age and experience, in terms of playing our football, the more he plays the quicker he gets used to it anyway.

It's ok, he can be great under Pep but the negative factor is than have 29 years old. So you want to pay 80 - 90k for 3 years?

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

Surely Koulibaly would have something to prove as our record signing, and having only ever won one Coppa Italia. Doubt he’d just be here for one last payday.

Maybe like I say just my personal preference I prefer players 23 ish we can keep for years

 

[Ric]

Sane young and hungry Nolito established and his last chance to win something
Which of those would you take ?

To be fair, that’s like saying “Rodwell young and hungry, Fernandinho established and his last chance to win something. Which of those would you take?”.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I don't think Koulibaly is as good as Van Dyke.

That wouldn't have been the general opinion when Van Dijk was originally at Southampton. He couldn't even get in the comedy Dutch defence at the time.

It is now he's in a better team & older, he's rated higher.