Liverpool reportedly working hard to convince €80m defender to join the club | OneFootball

Liverpool are reportedly working hard to convince Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly to join the club this summer and reject a move to Manchester City.

According to French outlet La Parisien, Liverpool are trying to use Sadio Mane to convince his fellow countrymen to come to Merseyside from Naples.

The report claims that PSG are not willing to pay the €80m Napoli are demanding for the centre-back. Manchester City, on the other hand, are interested in a deal and have already reached an agreement on personal terms with the defender should the two clubs also agree a transfer fee.

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ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

A big-money move for Koulibaly does not seem logical given his age and the options Liverpool already have in his position. Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho kept a clean sheet against Chelsea at the weekend, whilst Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are also waiting to come back from injury to compete for a spot at the back.

Koulibaly is 29 and, therefore, holds little to no resale value for Liverpool in the future and could stunt the development of Joe Gomez. If Koulibably comes in and starts alongside Van Dijk every week, Gomez could be left to sit on the bench and stagnate instead of improving with minutes on the pitch at the age of just 23.

Gomez played in 28 of Liverpool’s 38 Premier League matches last season as the club won the Premier League and had the best defensive record in the league. So, why should he be replaced by a 29-year-old for €80m? Liverpool could be better off continuing Gomez’s development whilst in the starting line-up and trying to make him a €80m centre-back with their own coaching rather than spending that money on someone from another club.