On Thursday, Gazzetta dello Sport took some time out of their busy schedule to try and calm down the rumours surrounding Manchester United and Kalidou Koulibaly.
While they didn’t deny that the Red Devils were interested in the Senegal international, they made it clear that Napoli had no intention of selling their star in the summer, and a new contract was on its way to ensure he remained a happy and well-paid footballer.
Fast forward 24 hours and Corriere del Mezzogiorno have a bit more detail on the matter, explaining that within said deal, a €150m release clause has been inserted, although it only becomes active from the summer of 2020 onwards.
This has been done to ensure Koulibaly will not leave this summer, as no release clause means Napoli have full power to reject any bid that is placed forward in the next 14-15 months.
After that, the message is very clear: pay €150m and he’s yours.
As for those interested, Corriere del Mezzogiorno point out the usual suspects, including Manchester City, although they do point out Pep Guardiola’s side have a preference for Milan Skriniar.
Those who favour Koulibaly are Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid (especially if they let Raphaël Varane leave in the summer).
Either way, it will be extremely tough to sign the Napoli centre-back this summer, it seems.
