...yes, you would hope 'feelers' are already out for main targets.
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...yes, you would hope 'feelers' are already out for main targets.
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Everton wanted Kalidou Koulibaly last summer - here's why they should be after him again
Everton majority investor Farhad Moshiri said the Blues pursued Koulibaly last summer
Five defenders who Everton could target in the Summer
Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly was a transfer target for Everton last summer and reports suggest the Merseyside club have renewed their interest in the player.
Italian newspaper Il Mattino newspaper reckon Everton are tracking the Senegalese player, who is also admired by Chelsea.
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri admitted the Blues were in the hunt for Koulibaly last season, but Napoli weren’t willing to part with the player.
But has he done enough in the last year to warrant Everton’s continued interest?
That question becomes more pertinent when you consider that the imposing defender - he has a 6ft 5in frame and has nicknames including K2 and The Wall - won’t come cheap.
He is said to have a release clause of £49 million.
Italian football writer Adam Digby believes Koulibaly has improved greatly in the last two seasons though and credits Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri with a role in that upturn.
On the Football Whispers website, Digby said Koulibaly, who is 25 years old, looked awkward and ungainly during Rafael Benitez’s final season in charge in Naples in 2014/15.
Kalidou Koulibaly of SSC Napoli in action
In the subsequent pre-season, photos from the club’s training camp showed Sarri dragging defenders into the right positions during drills.
He also used drones to track their movements.
Digby said: “[Sarri’s] mixture of old school drill-sergeant scoldings and modern technology seemed to work as every facet of Koulibaly’s game improved dramatically.
“He suddenly transformed from a player who looked like Bambi on Ice into a towering rock upon which opposition attacks now floundered.”
He’s praised for many aspects of his game including his aerial prowess and his tackling.
His growth as a player is shown in his distribution stats too.
Nearly nine out of ten of his passes this season have been accurate (89.6%) compared to 85.9% the previous season - he’s no hit-and-hoper and could confidently play the ball out from the back in the fast-paced Premier League.
Head coach of Napoli Maurizio Sarri
In fact, he’s among the top ten most accurate passers in Serie A this season.
His anticipation is also an asset and, of those Napoli players to play more than 10 games this season, he has made more blocks (0.9 per game) than any other.
Admittedly, he has conceded more fouls than all other regular Napoli players this season - 1.5 a game.
Centre-back Raul Albiol and right-back Elseid Hysaj have conceded fewer - 0.9 per game for both.
But they have also been booked more times than Koulibaly - eight and six times respectively compared to the Senegalese player’s modest four bookings.
If he’s smart with his fouls, Goodison Park wouldn’t be too concerned and he’s only been sent off once in his career, when he received his marching orders at Sampdoria during the 2014/15 season.
His value to Napoli was seen when he missed nine games at the turn of the year because of an injury and representing his country in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Napoli conceded 12 goals and kept just one clean sheet without Koulibaly, compared with letting in half the number of goals in the nine games before his absence.
Senegal's squad pose for a group picture before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations match against Tunisia
Prior to losing Koulibaly for around a month-and-a-half, Napoli went on a run of three clean sheets in five games with him in the team - 5-0 away at Calgliari, 3-0 at home to Inter Milan and a 0-0 Champions League draw at the Stadio San Paolo with Dynamo Kiev.
He also had an assured performance in March in a 2-1 away win over Roma - Napoli’s adversary for second place in the league behind likely champions Juventus.
Koulibaly won three-quarters of his aerial battles against the Rome club and Everton would be happy to get a player who can perform in high-pressure games against rivals.
Former Croatian footballer Zvonimir Boban is a big fan.
The Sky Italia pundit has said of Koulibaly: “[His] improvement isn't notable, it’s extreme.
“For me, he's among the best in the world and he can still improve.
"He's matured in everything; character, technique... he now comes out with the ball in such an impeccable way and is always physically dominant.
“I think Napoli have uncovered a champion.”
An odd footnote in Koulibaly’s season has been his part in one of the most ridiculous refereeing decisions ever, which has since seen the official banned.
While facing South Africa for Senegal in a World Cup qualifier in November, the defender comfortably blocked a header in the area with his thigh.
Kalidou Koulibaly in action for Napoli
With his arms and hands nowhere near the ball and no players appealing for a penalty, the Ghanaian referee Joseph Odartei Lamptey pointed to the spot to the complete incredulity of the Senegal team.
South Africa duly scored and won the game 2-1, but Lamptey was banned by Fifa for life last month after being found guilty of influencing the result.
Watch from the start of the match highlights here to see the unbelievable decision.
And if all that hasn’t whetted your appetite for seeing Koulibaly in an Everton shirt, the YouTube compilation above might do the trick.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...verton-wanted-kalidou-koulibaly-last-12949999
Didn't we offer more than that last summer according to Moshiri? I'd rather him than any of the others linked including VVD. Find out if he would come, then offer the release clause if we're serious about wanting him.
Keane valued at 30 million plus with 12 months on his contract, VVD valued at 50 and we sold Stones for a similar fee to this fellas buy out.
Yes a lot of money, but it seems the going rate for top class centre backs.
Again somewhere says he's 6'5! He's 6'2. Just look at the lineup picture. Kouyate is an inch or two taller.
Just a minor thing like. He's a brilliant defender and still a tall and powerful one, but I find it hilarious that everyone thinks he's a 6'5 giant.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
Come on this is still Everton, we're not dropping 100 million on the two centrebacks that every CL club in Europe are looking at. Keane at about 28 mill feels more Everton ha. Still an upgrade on the three we've got now.
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Only seen Keane 4-5 times mate, to me anyway he reminds me a bit of Cahill at Chelsea, good second centre back etc, nothing amazing, just solid
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Said that last summer, there's a picture of him next to Reina around, and they are pretty much the same height, no way the lads 6'5 unless Reina grew in his mid 30's about 3 inches
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
IF we managed to announce 1-2 signings prior to the window opening it would have a psychological effect on the rest of our business and make us seem very serious, rather than just soundbites
..agree. The other factor is with regards to the timing of outgoings and more specifically if and when Barkley/Lukaku move on.
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Maybe the two are interlinked mate, we bring in quality signings and show intent then one or both decide to give it a spin another season.
One thats largely gone under the radar atm, Kolasanic, still not singed for Arsenal etc despite it being reported as done a week or more ago, now all reports saying he's still making a decision etc, some big fish sniffing around him, that would be a very good sign if we ended up getting him.
VVD, Koulibaly either would be a massive signing given the interest and reputation
Tielmans widely regarded as one of the best young prospects in the game would show huge forward thinking
Lot of interest in Keane also - so getting him would send a message
Rooney arriving similarly would show a lot of intent as well
We get some of these over the line early then could be interesting the knock on effect it will have for any further business, often said, but true, the first over the line in terms of a player coming in of a certain reputation is often the hardest to do.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
Can we sign someone who can perform away from home?
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
...John Terry's available.
...beat me to it.
cardno4
Player Valuation: £1.5m
You've got confused.
I've seen plenty of Pickford and I don't rate him.
Someone mentioned that you couldn't please everyone and I agreed but said I hadn't seen much on Leno myself... I wasn't endorsing him or offering an opinion on wether we should buy him, merely stating that I hadn't heard anyone say anything bad about him on here, thus suggesting you may be able to please everyone after all...
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Think maybe Gibson would be a better idea, similar to Keane, less hyped and seems to take more control at the back as well.
Think their is very little between the two of them, but Keane seems to have gotten a huge amount of hype in comparison - same age, Gibson actually more impressive on stats and more experienced also, but one of them was a Man United academy player and so his 'profile' is inflated hugely higher.
We got say VVD/Koulibaly and Gibson then i'd be more than happy
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