Napoli are targeting Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos as their replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, amid Manchester City's interest in the player, the latest transfer reports claim
Despite already bringing in versatile defender Nathan Ake from Bournemouth, City are looking to strengthen their defence further this summer with the signing of another top quality centre-back.
It's of little surprise as the Blues' struggles at the back last season played a major factor in them losing their Premier League title to Liverpool and winning just a single piece of silverware.
Senegal international Koulibaly is the club's top target but the saga has been rumbling on all summer, with City in no rush to make their move as they wait for Napoli to lower their valuation.
However, according to TuttoSport, via Gonfialarete, the Serie A side are preparing for life without the 29-year-old and have lined up Arsenal's Greek defender Sokratis as their replacement.
It's reported that Sokratis is close to agreeing a three-year deal with the Naples club but his departure from the Gunners still needs to be negotiated.
It was thought that Napoli would sign Brazilian Gabriel Magalhaes to open the door for Koulibaly's exit, but they lost out on him to Arsenal. However, as a result, they may now be able to get Sokratis on the cheap.
