Tottenham transfer news: Spurs eye £40.5m defender who's 'up there with Virgil Van Dijk' | OneFootball

Journalist Conor Clancy feels Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly deserves to be in the conversation when discussing the best defenders in the world, and has compared the centre-back to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk.

Koulibaly has spent over seven years in Serie A but has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past.

What's the latest news involving Koulibaly?

The 30-year-old, who is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, is playing in the Africa Cup of Nations for Senegal at the moment, suggesting that it may be difficult for clubs to try to entice him away from Napoli in the current transfer window.

However, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has complained about the quality of his squad in recent months, and it has been reported that the Italian coach may turn to Koulibaly to bolster his backline.

What has Clancy said about Koulibaly?

Clancy, who has previously described Koulibaly as "phenomenal", thinks the 6 foot 2 star ought to be recognised as one of the best players on the planet in his position.

When asked if Koulibaly could thrive in the Premier League if he moved to England, Clancy told GIVEMESPORT: “Definitely. Koulibaly is up there with van Dijk in terms of the best defenders in the world at the moment.”

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Would Koulibaly significantly improve Tottenham's defence?

There may be some concerns about Koulibaly's age given that he is set to turn 31 in June. He has shown no signs of slowing down just yet, though.

Spurs dipped into the Serie A transfer market in the summer when they tempted Cristian Romero to north London. His Tottenham career has not got going so far, largely due to an injury setback, and Koulibaly has had his fair share of fitness problems in recent years as well.

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However, he has looked back to his best this season as he helped Napoli keep eight clean sheets in their opening 11 league matches.

The Premier League has a number of high-quality centre-backs, with van Dijk, Ruben Dias and Antonio Rudiger all flourishing at their respective clubs, so Koulibaly would have to settle in quickly to match their standards if he did move to Tottenham.

Yet he has been a commanding presence for several years in Italy, and if he could replicate that form at Spurs, it may go some way to helping the team close the gap to the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the table.