Liverpool frontrunners in race to sign Napoli superstar - Reports

Liverpool are reportedly the favorites to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly. The defender has long been linked with a move away from Italy.

According to Italian transfer expert Vincenzo Morabito, Liverpool see Koulibaly as a long-term partner to Virgil van Dijk, and there is a high possibility that the Senegalese defender will be leaving Napoli this summer.

Morabito told Radio Marte, as reported by Corriere dello Sport:

"Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz are leaving: if they were to be sold, two more high-level players will arrive. There are concrete interests for both, but post Covid prices will be down. Liverpool is on pole for Koulibaly and is also the club that can accommodate economically De Laurentiis."

Napoli have reportedly lowered their asking price for Koulibaly. The Italian outfit rejected an offer of €100 million for the defender in 2019 but have now significantly reduced his price tag.

A report by Football Italia earlier this month stated that Napoli would be willing to part ways with Koulibaly if a bid of around €50 million was made for the defender.

Ian McGarry of the Transfer Window podcast said that Napoli could even sell the defender for a fee of €45 million:

"Kalidou Koulibaly is most certainly on the market. We have been told by an agent who is very close to Napoli that Aurelio De Laurentis, the chairman and president of Napoli, is willing to take a knockdown price for the defender, given that he is about to turn 30 years old, and will cash in on him. He was available for €90m in last summer's transfer window but we understand that a fee of around €60m (£51.6m), potentially even as little as €45m would be enough to secure his services."

👀 | Liverpool are in pole position to sign Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli this summer and can meet Napoli’s demands for the defender.[Vincenzo Morabito] pic.twitter.com/e1g9Po88Z6

— The Anfield Buzz (@TheAnfieldBuzz) May 18, 2021

Liverpool will, however, face competition for Koulibay's signature, with Barcelona and Manchester United also interested in signing the defender this summer.

Liverpool already close to signing Ibrahima Konate

Ibrahima Konate in action for RB Leipzig

Liverpool are reportedly nearing an agreement to sign RB Leipzig center-back Ibrahima Konate at the end of the season. The Reds are yet to pay the defender's £40 million release clause but are currently in the process of finalizing the transfer.

Football expert Julien Laurens confirmed this last week. He told ESPN:

"Yeah pretty much [done], pretty much. They just have to pay the release clause and then I think they have an agreement with him and his agent for him to come over. I think this one will definitely happen this summer without a doubt."

The signing of Konate likely means that on-loan Schalke defender Ozan Kabak's deal will not be made permanent by the club in the summer, as reported by Daily Mail.

❗️Liverpool are unlikely to take up their option to sign Ozan Kabak on a permanent deal, as they have lined up Ibrahima Konate for the summer. In turn, RB Leipzig are now discussing a potential deal for Ozan Kabak, who also has interest from the Premier League. [@MailSport] pic.twitter.com/T7y7S3zXrJ

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) May 18, 2021