“Fake news” – Journalist dismisses claims around Liverpool effort to sign player

Kalidou Koulibaly has in recent weeks been linked with both Merseyside clubs and the Manchester pair. It’s felt more like hope than expectation from the media closest to the defender’s current club Napoli.

The defender could leave the Serie A side in the summer, as Napoli look to remove his wages from their accounts, and there’s even been claims of a possible €40m deal.

Claims came from England of Liverpool potentially moving forward at that level, and they’ve quickly been dismissed in Italy.

Carlo Alvino, an experienced Italian journalist who specialises in Napoli, has rubbished the idea of a deal at around €40m: “Just thinking that Napoli can give him up or open a negotiation at these figures for Koulibaly, it is a question of “fake news”.”

He clearly believes the player is worth more than €40m, which isn’t a surprise given it’s been claimed for over a year that Napoli were holding out for €100m or more. Whilst the price is likely to be lower this summer, due to the club’s need, and that Koulibaly turns 30-years-of-age in June, Alvino clearly believes €40m is simply too low to go.

Liverpool are far likelier to go for a younger option, with RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate looking a likely candidate after Ozan Kabak failed to quickly impress.