Man Utd transfer blow with Kalidou Koulibaly ‘expecting to join Man City for £72.5m from Napoli this summer’

MANCHESTER UNITED and Liverpool target Kalidou Koulibaly looks set to join Manchester City.

That’s according to Duncan Castles, who claims the Napoli star is close to a £72.5million Etihad switch.

Koulibaly, 29, is regarded as one of the top centre-backs in world football.

And it is no secret that City have struggled with that position this season after seeing Vincent Kompany leave last summer.

Aymeric Laporte was injured for most of the season - forcing midfielder Fernandinho to fill in on multiple occasions.

And it’s now reckoned Pep Guardiola is ready to sign a new defender after losing his Premier League crown to Liverpool.

Koulibaly had been on the Reds’ radar, despite Jurgen Klopp boasting Virgil van Dijk in his squad.

Rivals United were also strongly linked with a bid at one stage.

But Castles says Koulibaly is expecting to become a City slicker.

He told the Transfer Window podcast: “Napoli’s coach Gennaro Gattuso has been told Koulibaly will definitely be sold this summer and a replacement centre-back is coming in.

“Koulibaly himself is open to that, he’s ready for a change of environment and keen to move to the Premier League.

“There’s been talk of Liverpool as the club that would take him from Napoli to add him alongside Virgil van Dijk into what could be an extremely impressive defence.

“Koulibaly is a great right-footed player and would be extremely expensive.

“Napoli’s asking price pre-Covid was £90m, they would be expected to come down but I don’t see the fee coming significantly down into the £54m.

“The noises from Napoli is perhaps £72.5m would do it at present.

“Obviously all of these things are open to negotiations but it’s going to be a significant salary, it’s going to be significant wages.

“The word from people close to Koulibaly is he thinks there’s a strong chance he will end up at Man City.

“The noises and efforts that City have made so far and obviously their greater need for a top centre-back.

“The only centre-back option that Guardiola trusts at present is Laporte, they’ve spent the whole season short of quality at centre-back.

“It puts them in Koulibaly’s mind as his more likely destination this summer.”