Kalidou Koulibaly valuation lowered by Napoli

Reports today claim that Napoli have lowered the asking price for Kalidou Koulibaly, a player who has been heavily linked with Liverpool for several months.

The 29-year-old centre-back was originally valued at around £89million prior to the suspension of football due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but if the latest whispers are to be believed, the Italian outfit are willing to bring that price down considerably to help them finance a move for Lille forward Victor Osimhen, another player who has been mooted as a potential Liverpool target.

Koulibaly would be a fantastic addition to Jürgen Klopp’s squad but even if Napoli halved their original valuation, few Liverpool supporters would expect the club to finance such a deal for a player who has just turned 29.

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22-year-old Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ben White is a more realistic option for Liverpool. White has impressed while on loan at Leeds United and as previously reported by KOPTALK, Liverpool have had scout Andy O’Brien keeping a very close eye on him.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Liverpool would be an ideal destination for the young defender.

Speaking in October, he said: “He is perfect for Premier League football. He ticks every single box for the modern centre-back. He’s destined for a top-four club, he’s that good.

“He makes good decisions defensively, he is quick, very capable on the ball.

“He fits the Liverpool style perfectly as he can play from the back and bring the ball out.

“He is not aerially dominant but I don’t think that matters as much these days, as it’s very rare you are up against a 6ft 4in centre-forward.

“The physical side of the game is still there, but it’s not as important as it once was.”

Jürgen Klopp is also an admirer of Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake (25) and Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano (21). Liverpool have previously made an informal enquiry regarding Ake while Upamecano has been scouted, although not as intensively as White.

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