Barcelona told to shell out €70 million to land 30-year-old Serie A superstar: Reports 

Barcelona are reportedly in the market for a centre-back and are believed to have set their eyes on Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly.

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Napoli have set the asking price for the star defender at a whopping €70 million. Barcelona are looking for a replacement for Gerard Pique, who is now 35 years old and considering retirement. Blaugrana thinks that the Serie A star will be the perfect replacement for Pique at the club.

Koulibaly joined Napoli back in 2014 from KRC Genk and has been with the club ever since. In his 8-year stint at the club, the Senegalese has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe. Koulibaly has been a vital part of the team’s success over the years and is a very important part of the system currently employed by Napoli.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move to a bigger club various times over the years but he has decided to stay at Napoli every single time. This time, however, things look different as Koulibaly will enter the final year of his contract with the club next season.

No talks of a renewal of his contract have been ongoing and this has put major clubs, including Barcelona, on high alert. They are hoping that the absence of a new contract will increase Napoli’s willingness to sell the player and they will be able to sign him for a low fee.

Barcelona are looking to sign a replacement for Gerard Pique in the summer transfer window

Kalidou Koulibaly in action for Napoli

Barcelona have made signing Koulibaly a priority because of their defensive situation at the club. Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti have both dropped down the pecking order due to their performances. This means that Gerard Pique is the first-choice center back to pair up with Ronald Araujo. Pique, however, is in the final stages of his career and is considering retirement.

This would leave the club with just one reliable centre-back and signing Koulibaly would help them solve their defensive problems.

However, according to reports, despite Koulibaly entering the final year of his contract, Napoli are unwilling to let the sale go through unless a club matches their valuation of €70 million for the player. Barcelona cannot afford to pay such a heavy price tag for Koulibaly, and if Napoli do not reduce their asking price, Barcelona will most likely end their pursuit of the 30-year-old.

Such a high asking price is uncommon in these cases as Koulibaly will be able to leave the club for free in 2023, but Napoli might be hoping to get Koulibaly to sign an extension with the club.

The Senegalese has made 24 appearances across competitions for Gli Azzurri this season and has made four goal contributions for the side.

Barcelona are currently reviewing other candidates to pursue over the summer as well. Chelsea defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen are high up on the list. Both are out of contract at Chelsea in the summer.

Jules Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt are also being considered by the club, depending on their transfer fees. It will be interesting to see who fits the Spanish side’s budget during the summer transfer window, but only time will tell who ends up signing with the Catalan giants.