Napoli President Says Club Rejected €100M Offer for Koulibaly From EPL Team
Napoli have rejected a €100m offer from an unnamed club in the Premier League for their in-demand center back Kalidou Koulibaly, the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed.
The Senegal international, who made three appearances at the 2018 World Cup, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent years. Most notably Manchester United have been keeping tabs on the 27-year-old for some time.
Former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri's move to Stamford Bridge has, however, seen Chelsea also join the race for Koulibaly's signature.
Club president De Laurentiis has confirmed that a Premier League side have made a move for Koulibaly this summer, but Napoli have rebuffed the unnamed team's approach for the defender.
"It’s true, we had a €100m bid from the Premier League for Koulibaly, but we’re not negotiating his sale," De Laurentiis told Radio Kiss Kiss (via Football Italia). "He’s a very good person and we’ve never had problems with him."
Koulibaly would be a welcomed edition for either of his two biggest suitors, Manchester United or Chelsea. It is known that a new centre back is a top priority for the hierarchy at Old Trafford, while the 27-year-old would be able to link up with former boss Sarri in west London.
Napoli chief De Laurentiis also spoke about a recent injury to summer signing Alex Meret, confirming that either Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa or Frosinone star Francesco Bardi could be brought in to replace their first-choice goalkeeper.
"Ochoa and Bardi? They’re two real possibilities on the market," he added. "We want to give Meret the chance to recover without pushing him. He’s a young lad and we can’t put pressure on him."
