Barcelona are said to be working hard on rebuilding their back line completely, and according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly has moved to the top of their list concerning potential targets for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Koulibaly started his journey as a professional player in France, where he rose through the youth ranks at FC Metz. He then spent two years in Belgium with KRC Genk, and from there he joined Napoli in 2014 for a reported fee of just under €8 million. In the nearly eight years gone since, he’s made a total of 308 appearances for the club in all competitions, helping them win the 2019-20 Coppa Italia and re-establish themselves as one of the best teams in Italy.
However, Koulibaly’s contract is set to enter its final 12 months at the end of this season, and at the age of 30, it seems the club are reluctant to meet his demands regarding the terms of a proposed new one. This is where Barcelona apparently see their opportunity to step in and take advantage of the situation.
The Catalans are looking to rebuild their back line completely this summer, and they’ve so far been mostly linked with Chelsea defenders. They’re reportedly close to agreeing a free transfer of Andreas Christensen and were supposed to target Cesar Azpilicueta, also on a free transfer, next, but it seems the potential availability of Koulbaly, the African Cup of Nation winner with Senegal this year, has prompted a shift in their plans. To what extent, it remains to be seen.
