da betsson： According to reports in Italian media outlet Il Mattino, Everton are ready to reignite their interest in signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this season.
da imperador bet： The Toffees were linked with a move for the Senegal international last summer but a move failed to materialise, but Ronald Koeman is set to try again to bring the 25-year-old to Goodison Park this summer.
The Dutchman is keen to bring in at least one new centre-back with Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams getting no younger and Ramiro Funes Mori picking up a knee injury while on international duty with Argentina in March, and he potentially has a big transfer war chest to work with as owner Farhad Moshiri looks to push the club on to the next level.
The Serie A star was also the subject of a £47m bid from Premier League leaders Chelsea last summer, and they could also revive their interest at the end of the campaign.
Here are four reasons Everton must go all out to sign Koulibaly this summer…
He would strengthen the defence
Despite the fact that Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams are good Premier League defenders, there is no doubt that if Koulibaly came to Goodison Park that he would be a step up on the duo.
Koeman knows he needs more cover at the heart of the defence with young Matthew Pennington having to feature there in recent times because of injuries and suspensions, and the powerful Senegal international would certainly prove to be a strong addition to the backline having won 52 aerial duels in 24 Serie A appearances this term.
It would be a statement of intent
The 25-year-old has been linked with Chelsea in the past and having impressed for Napoli in Serie A and the Champions League, it would be a huge statement of intent if Everton were able to lure the centre-back to Goodison Park.
The Toffees are keen to compete for the Champions League spots next season – which they look likely to miss out on this term – and even though the Senegal international could cost around £50m, it is a price the club must pay if Koeman wants his side to improve.
He is comfortable on the ball
We already know that Koeman prefers the centre-backs in his team to be comfortable on the ball and willing to pass it out from the back – as shown when the club brought Ashley Williams to the club last summer from Swansea City.
Koulibaly certainly matches this requirement too with a 90% passing accuracy from more than 1,600 passes in 24 Serie A appearances for Napoli this term, with 84% of those total attempts having been played forward.
He is a more realistic target than Van Dijk
While Everton may feel that Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk is a realistic target this summer because Koeman brought him to St Mary’s in 2015 when he was in charge on the south coast, it still seems unlikely that they could lure the 25-year-old to Goodison Park.
The Netherlands international is likely to have interest from a number of the top clubs in the Premier League – including Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – and the Toffees shouldn’t waste their time chasing a defender they probably won’t sign which could cause them to miss out on a deal for the more attainable Koulibaly.
Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.