Juventus’ hopes of signing Napoli stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly have suffered a massive blow as the Partenopei refuse to sell their player to direct Serie A rivals. According to Calciomercato, Aurelio De Laurentiis has made it crystal clear that he has no intention of letting his long-serving defensive mainstay move to another Italian club.
Juventus are in the market for a new centre-back, particularly in light of Matthijs de Ligt’s uncertain future in Turin. The Dutch defender has drawn interest from Chelsea and has informed the club of his desire to move to the Premier League. Talks between the sides are ongoing, with Thomas Tuchel pushing for the ex-Ajax man to replace Antonio Rudiger.
De Ligt’s potential departure would leave a substantial hole in Massimiliano Allegri’s backline. And Juventus have identified Koulibaly as a perfect candidate to fill the void. However, Napoli have other ideas as De Laurentiis looks to sell the 30-year-old abroad if he has to.
Koulibaly’s contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona runs until the summer of 2023. Since there’s been no breakthrough in extension talks, Napoli could be forced to let go of the Senegal international to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 12 months.
Unfortunately for Juventus, De Laurentiis has plenty of foreign options to send Koulibaly far away from Serie A. Barcelona, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have registered their interest in the experienced centre-half. The only uncertainty surrounding the Senegalese’s future concerns his own preference.
Koulibaly reportedly tried to force his way out of Naples last summer but to no avail. Instead, he stayed at Napoli and helped Luciano Spalletti’s side to a third-place finish in Serie A in 2021/22.