Kalidou Koulibaly Next Club Odds - 05/06/20

In recent years Napoli have been one of Italian football’s strongest sides, being possibly the only team to have challenged the mighty Juventus to the Serie A title.

The Napolitano side have finished second three times in the past four seasons, and although their Turin rivals have been comfortable in winning the league, Napoli were perhaps Juventus’ biggest threat.

However, this season Gli Azzurri have drastically changed from the side they have been in recent history, currently sitting at sixth in the table and eight points from a Champions League spot.

Without a place in the biggest competition in Europe, Napoli could be at risk of losing some of their most talented players, with Kalidou Koulibaly among those who have been hinted at a move away from la Stadio San Paolo.

Here, we take a look at the Paddy Power odds for the Senegalese central defender’s possible clubs he could be playing for next season.

Liverpool have been labelled as the favourites to sign Koulibaly this summer, with odds of 15/8 for the powerful centre-half to possibly partner Virgil van Dijk next season.

This season the Reds have been in impeccable form, currently 25 points ahead of second place Manchester City. With just one loss and one draw all season, it is hard to understand why Jurgen Klopp’s side would need to add anything to a side that has been labelled as one of the best ever Premier League sides.

However, with rumours that Klopp is preparing to offload both, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip this summer, Liverpool will be keen to fill their places with better quality and more depth.

Despite Joe Gomez’s impressive performances this season, the Liverpool boss could seek to add more experience to his side with the loss of Lovren and Matip.

Koulibaly is a seasoned Champions League player and has been labelled as one of the best defenders in Europe, and could be the piece to the puzzle that allows for them a better chance to achieve their invincible season, which they were on track to achieving before a surprise thrashing by Watford.

Manchester United are another side to be featured in the race for the Senegalese’s signature this summer, and Paddy Power have rated their chances 3/1 to do so.

United have been mentioned in almost every major transfer story for this season and next and have been linked to a number of elite players as they search for the talent in order to challenge at the top of the Premier League once more.

The Red Devils spent a total of around £130 million to improve on their back four this season, signing the £80 million Harry Maguire from Leicester and Crystal Palace’s £50 million right-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Although the signings of the two highly rated defenders were not total disasters, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have still had a problem in conceding goals this season. United have leaked 30 goals in their 29 games this campaign, perhaps prompting the Norwegian to invest in yet another highly rated defender.

According to Le10 Sport, in France, Napoli will not be willing to depart from their star defender for a fee any less than £90 million – a fee in a similar ball-park to what United have spent on players, such as Paul Pogba and Maguire, in the past.

Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked to the Napoli number 26, and Paddy Power have given them the odds of 4/1 to win his signature.

The current French league champions are no strangers to spending gargantuan price-tags for the players in their transfer target list, spending around £500 million in the past three seasons in their pursuit of a serious Champions League contending side.

While significantly bolstering their attack with the signings of some of the best players in world football in Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, PSG have spent a significant amount less on improving the defensive side of their squad. And now, with their defensive talisman Thiago Silva nearing the end of his career, they may seek to sign a big-name player takeover from the Brazilian defender.

According to French publication, L’Equipe, the Ligue 1 reigning champions have an advantage over their rivals to sign Koulibaly. The report claims that the relationship between PSG and Napoli owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has been built upon from the previous dealings between the sides in the signings of Edison Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, which could give Thomas Tuchel and his side the edge.

Since Newcastle’s £300 million takeover negotiations with English businesswoman, Amanda Staveley, the North East club have been linked with a number of world class talent.

Paddy Power have made their odds 6/1 for Koulibaly to become a Newcastle player this summer, as the Senegalese is also the only defender linked with a move to St. James Park among the Paddy Power odds.

The Magpies have been featured in reports of signing world superstars, like Gareth Bale and Philippe Coutinho, highlighting their intent to follow a similar path to Manchester City’s rise to becoming a consistent Premier League title contender.

However, Bale and Coutinho are arguably trying to rebuild their careers that have taken a certain amount of tarnishing during the difficult spells the players have experienced at their current clubs, perhaps prompting them to sign for an up and coming club like Newcastle, to revive their superstar status’.

Koulibaly is not in the same career position as the likes of the two La Liga stars, and is unlikely to move to a club outside of a European spot next season. The Champions League is a much sought-after competition for the world’s most elite players, and is a stage where players can become considered some of the best in the world. With the likes of PSG and, Champions League champions Liverpool interested, it is unlikely the Senegalese man would opt for Newcastle.

By Brad Beecham