Kalidou Koulibaly was greeted warmly by Napoli fans and his compatriots in Italy upon returning from Cameroon. Senegal bested Egypt on penalty kicks in the final of the African Cup of Nations. They took home the trophy for the first time in their history.
His words to the crowd at the Capodichino airport were transcribed by SportMediaset: “I am delighted for this reaction, but you can be at ease because I will not leave. I am back and I am very serene. Everything you said while I was away was very nice. Thanks a lot for that. I am proud to be with you. Everything that has happened here and in Senegal was terrific.”
Koulibaly met the Napoli and his national team’s supporters again before taking the medicals ahead of his return to practice. He posted a picture on Instagram: “A piece of Senegal lives in Naples.” Differently from André-Franck Zambo Anguissa, the center-back did not train Thursday.
Barring a hiccup during the physical tests, he will do it Friday. Despite the lengthy absence, Koulibaly is highly likely to start in Inter-Napoli, replacing Juan Jesus in the back.
According to recent reports, the Azzurri bigwigs are willing to make a compromise to their salary policy to keep him in town. The contract of the 30-year-old expires in 2023. Therefore, he is in line to get an extension. Unless a large bid arrives from abroad in the summer, the parties will agree to a long-term deal by lowering the annual wages, Raffaele Auriemma reports.