PSG have leap-frogged Man City in the race to sign Napoli’s centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly in a deal worth £75m, according to reports.
City and PSG had been battling for his signature, but according to a recent report from The Telegraph, PSG have now emerged as front-runners to secure Koulibaly’s signature.
Koulibaly looks set to join PSG despite interest from CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The report claims that PSG boss Thomas Tuchel views Koulibaly as his number one defensive target and is negotiating a move which could cost up to £75m.
Tuchel’s side lost veteran Brazilian Thiago Silva to Chelsea for free and need to restock their defensive ranks.
Man City had reportedly been favourites to land the defender and had entered talks with him.
They had been keen on bringing him to the Eithad, but were struggling to raise the £70m that Napoli had been asking for.
City had bid £53m for the defender that the Italian side rejected.
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Napoli’s boss Gennaro Gattuso said: “Koulibaly has a precise asking price, and if the club don’t get the money it is asking for, then he won’t leave.”
Relations between the clubs had detoriated in recent times and they were negotiating the proposed deal through a third-party, according to reports.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the root of their feud is the failed Jorgino deal between the clubs.
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis weighed in on this by saying: “How can we have a normal and calm negotiation with City to sell Koulibaly?
“They won’t talk to us directly because of the Jorginho deal two years ago.”
City have now allegedly turned to Sevilla defender Jules Kounde as an alternative to Koulibaly.
A deal for Kounde could see Nicolas Otamendi move in the opposite direction.
Kounde, 21, has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona but Pep Guardiola may swoop this window to help reinforce City’s defence.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
