Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis raised doubts about Kalidou Koulibaly sticking around this summer, even though the defender alluded that he would stay put: “He is our symbol. If he no longer wants to be that, it is up to him to decide. We want him to stay, but I can not force anybody. Everybody has his own dignity and needs. We respect everything, and I have never obligated anybody to stay, even if he had multiple years left on his contract.”
The Azzurri owner talked during the charity event Race for the Cure, as Tuttomercatoweb transcribed: “In reality, the only one whose arm I twisted was Walter Mazzarri, whom I wish to greet because he is a dear friend. He told me that he wanted to flee after two years, but I said to. He complied, and we had four more rewarding seasons together.”
Instead, De Laurentiis was not as direct as concerning Koulibaly when asked about the future of Victor Osimhen: “We have had him only in part-time fashion for two years because of his injuries. It would be inopportune to pass judgment on him. Any season is different, and the squad changes during the preparation. There are always variables. I have always thought teams need a psychologist because the mental element is key. You must not interfere with what the coach is doing, though. Also because it may lead to false convictions by the players too. We have always refrained from doing that, leaving carte blanche to gaffers.”
The president discussed the defender also with Gerard Romero on Twitch: “I have not been contacted by Barcelona. I do not think they have the money to buy anybody. We will not make any swap. In general, he is not up for sale.”