A selection of Liverpool fans have provided a mixed response to a recent report linking Kalidou Koulibaly with a summer move to the club.
Koulibaly, 28, has been with Napoli for the past five-and-a-half seasons, where he has built his reputation as one of the best-performing centre-backs in European football.
He has been associated with a Premier League move for the past few years but club chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis has been reluctant to part ways with his services.
However, it now appears that there is a change in stance and the club would be willing to sanction Koulibaly’s sale as they face the prospect of missing out on next season’s Champions League.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Jurgen Klopp’s side have made initial contact with the Serie A outfit for Koulibaly, whom they have identified as the central defensive partner for Virgil van Dijk next term.
The same outlet suggests that the Italian club could accept a lesser fee than the £87m asking price for Koulibaly, which was set before the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Joel Matip has been fancied to head through the exit door upon the defender’s arrival.
The combination of Van Dijk and Koulibaly could be exciting to watch at the heart of the Reds backline but there are doubts whether the club would be willing to spend big on the Senegalese, who will turn 29 in June.
The Reds currently have an exciting young centre-back in Joe Gomez, who has formed a solid partnership with Van Dijk and any move for Koulibaly would directly hamper the playing time of the England international.
While interacting on Twitter, some Reds fans have expressed their excitement over the prospect of Koulibaly and Van Dijk pairing up in the central defence next term.
On the other hand, another section of the supporters believe that the deal remains unrealistic and Klopp should stick with Gomez as the defensive partner for Van Dijk.
Twitter Reactions:
I joked about this before and I'm here for it.
Its good to have an elite defensive partnership. We haven't had this in a long time.
Virgil and Koulibaly will be a delight to watch.
— Wale Kembi (@Kembox) April 30, 2020
Would be amazing but it won’t happen.
— Paul Stebbings* (@stebbo999) April 30, 2020
Would be an an absolute dream signing
— PaulShilly 🌹🌹 (@shillcock_paul) April 30, 2020
Or….. How about signing someone we need? Joe Gomez is 22 and already a beast why would we spent so much for a 28 years old defender we don't really need. We need an attacking midfielder, a back up LB and Werner
— Adam (@fozel4) April 30, 2020
@ginjaninja2435 @TheRushinRhino @shoebeedoobee imagine that partnership 👀👀
— Cody Keegan (@TheNormalOne705) April 30, 2020
I’d be overly disappointed for JoeGomez
— Matthew Joseph (@MattJoseph459) April 30, 2020
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