Napoli are expecting a new offer from Manchester City for centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly “next week”, according to the Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.
The reliable Italian journalist says the Serie A club are anticipating a bid in the region of €75m (£67m), including add-ons, but negotiations are taking much longer than normal as there is no direct communication between the two teams:
Napoli expect Manchester City to submit a new bid for Kalidou Koulibaly on next week – around €75m add ons included. Talks still progressing [so slow because of no-direct contacts between the two clubs]. Napoli are waiting for the new official bid. ? @DiMarzio #MCFC #ManCity
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 4, 2020
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed why that is the case in recent days. City were in talks to sign Jorginho two years ago but the Italian side allowed the midfielder to move to Chelsea instead.
It means that talks about the signing of Koulibaly are being conducted through the Senegalese international’s agent, Fali Ramadani, which has meant talks are progressing extremely slowly.
There is a concern that other teams could step in and hijack the move, with Manchester United having been mentioned in the Italian press in recent days, but the only club to have entered serious discussions so far is City.