Liverpool’s pursuit of defender could hit brick wall due to views of manager and club | OneFootball

Liverpool’s pursuit of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly could hit a brick wall in the coming transfer window as the Italian club do not want to see him leave.

According to ArenaNapoli, as transcribed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are interested in signing Koulibaly, but Gennaro Gattuso and Napoli “will not want to give up” the defender and are likely to make it very hard for the Reds to sign him.

The report claims that Liverpool are prepared to “charge” for Koulibaly as they look to bolster their defensive options following injuries to Joel Matip, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk in recent weeks.

READ: Liverpool given Fabinho injury boost

READ: Steve Nicol names Liverpool player who could be converted into a centre-back

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

If Napoli are as determined to keep Koulibaly as the report suggests it could be very difficult for Liverpool to negotiate a deal that is worth doing. Given Napoli want to keep him at the club, they could demand an extortionate fee for the defender in order to ward off potential interest from Liverpool and other top sides in Europe in January or next summer.

Koulibaly will be 30 by the start of next season and that means that he is unlikely to have much resale value or be a good option for Liverpool in the long-term. This is because he will be entering the final years of his peak, whereas Liverpool could sign a player heading into their peak – at the age of 23-25. Signing a younger player could allow for more scope in development and give Jurgen Klopp time to coach them into becoming a key part of Liverpool’s side for years to come.

Napoli’s key defender, Koulibaly, has had an excellent start to the season, though. Koulibaly has a WhoScored rating of 7.13 in the Serie A, averaging over two blocks and tackles combined per game – highlighting his defensive strength. So, if Liverpool are looking for a defender in the short-term he could be a good option to fill a gap for two or three years.