By Adam Brown @AdamMNVi
Napoli have reportedly lowered the price of highly sought-after centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, and the Senegalese star could be the perfect way to get Liverpool’s summer transfer window spending underway.
The Reds have suffered more than anyone with around 20 different centre-back combinations fielded throughout the season and all three senior options from the start of the campaign facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.
Jurgen Klopp received criticism for heading into the season without a notable 4th choice central defender, but no manager could ever have predicted the run of misfortune that quickly pushed Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the title further away. Pickford’s challenge looked malicious, Joel Matip’s fitness proved unreliable yet again, and a player injured on international duty? Of course, it’s Liverpool.
There’s no denying that when fit, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are both worthy starting options, but this year has shown that a loss of rhythm can have a seismic effect on the rest of the team; stability starts with the spine.
Joe Gomez appeared to be past his injury concerns after an unscathed 19/20 season, but the English defender has now missed over 100 games for the club. Having two injury-prone centre-halves at the club could tempt fate with a repeat of this season, and nobody wants that.
Excluding missing four games through testing positive for Covid-19, Koulibaly has only missed 20 games for Napoli since 2014; an injury-record as strong as Virgil van Dijk’s.
Napoli’s star defender’s price hasn’t been dropped as a result of performances, though one problem for Liverpool fans and FSG could be that Sadio Mane’s compatriot is turning 30 in June. The board in Naples know this may be their only time to scoop a big fee to help fund a rebuild.
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Koulibaly’s performance in aerial duels will also be a worrying sign for Michael Edwards and the scouting team. Virgil was a colossus in the air during the 19/20 title-winning season, winning 81% of aerial duels. By comparison, Harry Maguire and Aymeric Laporte have both won 76% of duels this season, while Koulibaly loses more battles than he wins with a success rate of just 47.6%.
But what the Senegalese centre-back lacks in aerial battles, he makes up for, with defensive actions and calmness with the ball at his feet. The 2019 Serie A Defender of the Year performs an average of 9.39 defensive actions in tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances per game – a respectable total against Virgil van Dijk’s 9.71 defensive actions per match in Liverpool’s title-winning season.
With the ball, Koulibaly is averaging 26.1 passes per game, an amount similar to Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte (27.6), and can regularly progress the ball forwards into midfield.
Given Liverpool’s centre-back merry-go-round this season, it seems a no-brainer for Klopp and the scouting team.
The Verdict
Securing the signature of Kalidou Koulibaly makes a lot of sense for Liverpool. The Reds aren’t trying to find the next superstar defender for the next 10 years. Of course, FSG could go all out for the likes of Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba – but what would this mean for Joe Gomez?
Liverpool’s centre-back selection is strong at its core. Virgil van Dijk and Gomez have proven their calibre and could easily be lining up next to each other in 2025, but for the sake of potentially enduring another season like this one, the Reds should find a quick-fix for the short term.
Koulibaly would provide vital experience at a smart price if the Senegalese star can be secured for around £30 million. The Serie A defender’s experience playing in a back three could also be vital for any potential tweaks to Klopp’s system. The injury record looks clean, the numbers look good, and opting for a defender at this price point means the rest of the budget can prioritise other areas of the team.
FSG should send Michael Edwards to Naples in the summer.
By Adam Brown (@AdamMNVi)
