Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Darren Wells

Napoli chief confirms Kalidou Koulibaly's asking price in foul-mouthed outburst

Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis has launched a foul-mouthed outburst insisting Kalidou Koulibaly will not leave the club for less than £90million.

The Senegalese defender is hot property with a number of top clubs across Europe interested in his talents.

He has been heavily linked with a transfer elsewhere this summer, with reports suggesting the current coronavirus crisis could impact his valuation.

However De Laurentiis has no plans to accept a cut-price offer for his star, and took a swipe at other clubs gambling for success.

"If City or United or PSG with €100m (£90m) showed up, I would think about it [selling Koulibaly] and it is probable that they [the player] would leave, always if their will was to leave," he told Corriere dello Sport.

Napoli's president says the club will not lower Koulibaly's asking price (SIPA USA/PA Images)

"I don’t even consider an offer of €60m (£55m). I am solid, if I wanted to win the Scudetto at any cost today I would find myself with three, four hundred million debts.

"I look around and see companies at 500, 600 million, less a billion. I don’t owe anyone a s***."

United and City are two of the clubs tipped to sign the 28-year-old, as well as Liverpool, but it seems Napoli are intent on keeping their man.

Aurelio De Laurentiis has made his stance clear (X03151)

Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli told Sky Sport 24 recently: "Kalidou is a great player, who still has a long contract with us.

"If we were to sell, the club could ask for a large sum. A player like this cannot change his value even in a crisis, so we are not moving our valuation."

Koulibaly is tied down to Napoli until 2023, meaning there is little chance of his departure in the near future unless any sides are prepared to meet his asking price.

That seems unlikely given the current economic climate, and the centre-back now seems settled again in Italy following the arrival of Gennaro Gattuso as manager.

Sixth-place Napoli had a troublesome start to the season, which resulted in the sacking of former boss Carlo Ancelotti, but Koulibaly feels Gattuso has steadied the ship.

"[Gattuso has given us] a lot of self-confidence," Koulibaly said. "We had lost self-esteem, he gave it back to us. Tactically he gave us a little more, he taught us to suffer.

"In the first months of this championship we could not suffer, we were in difficulty. Now instead we can do it. We are on the right track, we need continuity."

Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.