da brdice： As reported by Italian outlet CalcioMercato.it, Arsenal are tracking the progress of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly ahead of the summer transfer window.
What’s the story?
da casino： With Arsenal’s English Premier League campaign going off the rails for a second season in a row, manager Arsene Wenger is again facing pressure to ring the changes to his first team squad when the transfer window re-opens this summer.
Having paid big money to bring the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the club over the last 12 months, fans are hoping the Gunners can now focus on their defence.
One man that could be arriving at the Emirates is Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
CalcioMercato.it report that Arsenal sent scouts to watch the 6ft 5in defender during the club’s clash with RB Leipzig in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, is the Senegal international set for a big move to the English Premier League?
A good buy?
Koulibaly is regarded as one of best defensive players in Italian football, impressing for Napoli ever since joining from Belgian side Genk in 2014.
With a strong, athletic physical presence, he would be an imposing figure in Arsenal’s defensive line, perhaps the dominating defender they’re lacking in their current set-up.
He isn’t just a spoiler though. As shown by WhoScored, the player has over a 91% pass success rate in Serie A this season, demonstrating he has the ball playing chops to fit into Arsene Wenger’s system.
So far this season he’s helped Napoli keep 14 clean sheets in Italian football, with the side currently on an nine game winning streak in the top-flight, form that has seen them climb to the top of the table ahead of Juventus.
That’s the kind of defensive foundation that could bring success to Arsenal next season should they follow up their reported interest. Given they have conceded more goals than anyone in the top seven of the English Premier League, it’s certainly an area they need to address.