Everton are considering a bold move to sign SSC Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, as coach Carlo Ancelotti eyes a potential reunion with the Senegalese star.
Ancelotti worked closely with the 29-year-old during his 18 months with I Partenopei, before he was sacked in December 2019 and then made the subsequent switch to Goodison Park.
According to talkSPORT, the Italian boss and Everton are interested in signing Koulibaly in the summer, and they'll be spurred on by the fact his transfer fee may be significantly reduced from the £89m price tag quoted in recent windows.
“It sounds like Carlo Ancelotti is going to be backed this summer," explained talkSPORT's Alex Crook.
“I think they’re just going to fall short this season in terms of being contenders for a Champions League place.
“But they believe they’ve got the right manager in place in Ancelotti to challenge at that kind of level. Koulibaly is someone Ancelotti worked with at Napoli, he knows him well.
“There was an £89m fee being talked about this time last year, but given the global economy when it comes to football, that fee would be dramatically reduced now.
“Ancelotti would like to get this deal done.”
It would certainly come as a statement of intent to the rest of the Premier League if Everton were able to get this deal over the line, considering Koulibaly has long been tipped for a move to one of England's giants.
Manchester City were expected to end their defensive woes by signing the Napoli star, but they instead opted to recruit Ruben Dias, which has proven to be a masterstroke. Manchester United and Liverpool have also been linked with the defender, but a deal has never materialised.
Koulibaly's stock has fallen over the past 18 months, due to I Partenopei's struggles in Serie A and the player's own issues with injury. Napoli would now have to accept a much lower bid, especially when factoring in the financial state of football amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: 90min
