Manchester City have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign Kalidou Koulibaly according to El Desmarque. The Premier League champions were said to have been on the lookout for a central-defender in order to bolster their defensive options contrary to Pep Guardiola’s recent comments.
The Spaniard has denied this was the case and said earlier in the week that the club had no intentions of bringing in a defender during this transfer window but the contradictory reports will likely have left the club’s supporters confused and the media suspecting that having explored various options it would be best to wait until the summer.
Would you like to see Koulibaly at Man City?
Yes
No
TIF Tactics – Have City missed a golden opportunity?
Koulibaly, currently of Napoli, is regarded as one of Europe’s best centre-backs by team-mate Lorenzo Insigne (Radio Kiss Kiss via Squawka) and it was reported last year that he was looking for a move away from Serie A despite Carlo Ancelotti, the manager at the time, denying that to be the case.
At 28-years-old, the Senegalese defender is in his prime and therefore the Italian club are expected to demand a huge transfer fee for the player meaning only a handful of clubs, one of which potentially would be Manchester City, could afford him.
The 6ft 1in defender has played 232 times for the Naples club and will have no doubt assisted Pep Guardiola’s side at a time where they’ve been forced to play Fernandinho, and at times Rodri, in the heart of their defence.
The Premier League champions have struggled to cope with injuries this season and as a result, they currently find themselves 14 points behind Liverpool. With a huge rebuild likely to begin at the Etihad during the close season perhaps the club didn’t feel such a significant investment on a defender of Koulibaly’s age would be beneficial in the longer term.