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According to reports in the English and the French media, Manchester City and Pep Guardiola have made significant progress in the acquisition of talented defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Italian giants Napoli. The Senegalese centre-back is one of the most sought-after players in Europe and Manchester City may have finally secured his signing.
Manchester City successfully managed to overturn its transfer ban this year and is now looking to make full use of its formidable financial power this summer. Koulibaly is one of the most expensive defensive talents in the world at the moment and Manchester City will have to dig deep into treasury to complete the move.
Manchester City's slump in defensive form has cost them plenty of silverware this season. Pep Guardiola's side has been in fine fettle in the final third but a stark lack of defensive reinforcements has seen Manchester City squander the Premier League title to Liverpool.
Manchester City also put in a terrible defensive performance against Lyon in the Champions League and crashed out of the competition after a disappointing 3-1 defeat. Kalidou Koulibaly's agreement to the personal terms offered by Manchester City will certainly boost morale at the Etihad Stadium ahead of next season.
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Manchester City is set to splurge on Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly may have agreed to personal terms with Manchester City but his £90 million price tag is likely to cause most European clubs a number of problems. Napoli has refused to compromise on the amount of money required to secure the services of Koulibaly and the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis has made his stance on the matter perfectly clear.
“Koulibaly is gonna leave? You’ve to ask Manchester City, Manchester United and PSG. They’re the only clubs that have money to sign him.”
Manchester City failed to meet expectations this season and will need to pull up its socks to get the better of a dominant Liverpool side. Pep Guardiola cannot afford to make mistakes in this transfer window and the arrival of Koulibaly may be a step in the right direction.
Pep Guardiola is also reportedly keen on bringing Barcelona's Lionel Messi to Manchester City next season. The Argentine genius is unhappy with his situation at the Catalan club and reportedly wants to reunite with the Manchester City manager.
The Barcelona captain is unlikely to arrive for free, however, and Manchester may have to shell out a considerable sum to convince the La Liga giants to part with the legendary talisman.
Manchester City is unlikely to complete Kalidou Koulibaly's transfer over the next few days and will wait for the dust surrounding Lionel Messi's legal rift with Barcelona to settle. Pep Guardiola has plenty of funds at his disposal and may well be able to afford both players in this transfer window.
Manchester City is yet to win the Champions League and has suffered for shocking defeats in consecutive seasons in the competition. Kalidou Koulibaly's ability to organise a defensive line can help the club achieve its prized objectives next season.
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