As you’ll be aware by now, Manchester City are trying to sign Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli this summer.
Pep Guardiola is determined to improve his backline after their problems last season and, despite having already signed Nathan Aké, wants the Senegalese centre back through the door as well.
Negotiations have been ongoing for the best part of two months, with City yet to meet Napoli’s, particularly Aurelio de Laurentiis’, high demands.
Indeed, negotiations have been going at a snail’s pace for several weeks, which has seemed a little strange given Manchester City’s willingness to just pay what is necessary in their other business, both this summer and in the past.
According to Il Mattino, that is not the only problem in the negotiations as Manchester City are still sore over what happened with Jorginho.
The newspaper explains that City still ‘do not want’ direct contact with Napoli, preferring to instead go through the player’s agent and intermediary Fali Ramadani.
It is he who is bringing City’s ‘various proposals’ to De Laurentiis, as opposed to the two clubs having direct contact, and that is seemingly slowing things down.
Indeed, they say that Manchester City’s ‘pointed feet are not helping to find a solution’.
The reason for this roundabout way of doing things is Jorginho. Two summers ago, City were at the front of the queue for his signature and looked like they had finalised things.
But after ‘defining most of the operation’ the move was ‘hijacked’ by Chelsea, with the player moving there alongside manager Maurizio Sarri.
That ‘wound’ still ‘burns’ at the Etihad and ‘slows the deal’ suggesting this saga, which has already been dragging on for a while, could end up going on for a while yet.
