Man City ‘given Koulibaly transfer ultimatum with Napoli pulling defender from market if deal not done this weekend’
MANCHESTER CITY have reportedly got until the weekend to complete a move for Kalidou Koulibaly.
Gazzetta dello Sport claims Napoli are running out of patience after City failed to meet their £70million asking price.
Pep Guardiola is keen on bringing Koulibaly, 29, to the Etihad this summer despite also targeting Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez.
And it’s believe the tactician has already failed with a £53m offer.
The report adds that City are at most prepared to pay £64m for Koulibaly.
But Napoli will accept no less than £70m and are ready to pull the Senegal star from the transfer market this weekend.
Indeed, San Paolo boss Gennaro Gattuso said on Sunday that Koulibaly will not be sold on the cheap.
He revealed: “Koulibaly has a precise asking price, and if the club don’t get the money it is asking for, then he won’t leave.”
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has also claimed relations with City are poor following Jorginho’s failed Etihad move in 2018.
He said: “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.”
Meanwhile, City could try to tempt Napoli into selling Koulibaly for less than £70m by offering Oleksandr Zinchenko in return.
His agent explained: “Zinchenko is on the radar of Naples, three years ago there were meetings.
“But for this we have to ask Koulibaly’s agent, of whom we have the utmost respect as well as the Man City management.
“What if City called me? If it were to do so, we would listen to Napoli’s proposal and try to see what to do.”