Kalidou Koulibaly currently plays as a centreback for Napoli and is highly rated throughout Europe. For reference to how good he is, some Napoli fans refer to him as simply ‘the beast’ due to his notable presence on the pitch. Everton already had bids rejected for him this season, but there are rumours that we are planning another attempt to sign him soon.
The Napoli star will likely cost upwards of £60 million, but that’s before the potential bidding war between Chelsea, Everton, and any other big teams hoping to bolster their defence. Moshiri actually met the asking price this season, he said he would spend big money on boosting the quality of the squad, and it was only the lack of Napoli’s options which compromised his promise to Everton fans.
But a season on from Moshiri’s first bid for the Senegalese international, Napoli would have likely since developed options for centreback signings to bring in this summer, meaning there will be someone to fill the void Koulibaly would leave. If Napoli do get themselves into a position where they can sell him, and remain competitive in Serie A and European competitions, then Everton will be certain to enter the race to sign him.
Koulibaly will give the Everton back line some much-needed pace, for someone so phyicially intimidating, he is surprisingly athletic. What’s even more surprising is his ability to move about the pitch. Simillar to how John Stones could drift past pressing players, Koulibaly can effortlessly skip past strikers and burst into the space behind him. His tackling ability is one of the best in Serie A, which is notorious for the quality of its defenders, his slide tackling ability is immense, and he is a presence in the box on set pieces at either end of the pitch.
Combine all of this with his impressive passing range, and what we get is someone who Koeman could potentially use to devastating effect. We see Williams often attempt the long up-field ball to Lukaku, so the purchase of Koulibaly could serve to truly boost the current system Everton currently use. I really hope we sign him.
Up the Ev.