They might have dumped Kalidou Koulibaly and Napoli out from the Europa League, but Barcelona reportedly were impressed enough with the Senegal star's performances to be seriously considering making a move for him.
Koulibaly has established himself as one of the top defenders in not just Italy, but also in Europe, and his stock has certainly risen further following his key role in Senegal's triumph at this winter's AFCON tournament.
Napoli, of course, are keen on hanging onto their star - at all costs. Reports have claimed that club president Aurelio De Laurentiis rejected bids worth upwards of $109 million (€100 million) in the past from European giants such as PSG, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Real Madrid.
And with the club set to lose key player Lorenzo Insigne at the end of this season with the Italian moving on to MLS side Toronto FC, the Partenopei will be loath to say arrivederci to another star so quickly. In fact, they're apparently keen on making him the new captain of the club in a bid to convince him to stay put.
At the moment, Koulibaly has a contract that expires in June 2023, but as per Italian reports, namely the Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona are looking to offer him a big boost in his wage packet on a deal that will run through 2026.
As of now, Koulibaly reportedly remains committed to his current club, who presently sit in third spot. Out of the Europa League and the Coppa Italia, it's safe to say that he'll be firmly focused on helping Napoli end their decades-long wait to get their hands on the Scudetto at the end of this season. After that, it will indeed be interesting to see if he becomes the new skipper for the Partenopei, or if he's playing his club football for another major European club at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
