Manchester City have reportedly launched an £85m offer for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, days after Liverpool held talks with the player’s agent, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, cited by the Mirror.
The report claims that Pep Guardiola’s side have made a formal offer to the Serie A side for the Senegal international, viewing the 27-year-old as Vincent Kompany’s successor.
The Reds recently held talks with Koulibaly’s representatives over a possible summer switch, with Manchester United, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain also thought to be keen on the towering defender.
If the offer is accepted by Napoli, it would break the world record fee for a defender which was set by Liverpool when they signed Virgil van Dijk for £75m 18 months ago.
Jurgen Klopp is thought to be exploring the possibility of adding to his central defensive options, with Dejan Lovren linked with a £25m move to AC Milan.
Liverpool came out on top against Manchester City in the race to sign van Dijk back in January 2018, and it appears as if the Reds will have to do the same again if they are to secure the services of Koulibaly.
