‘They’ve walked away’ – Journalist Makes claim on Manchester City’s chase of Koulibaly

Sam Lee, the Manchester City correspondent for The Athletic, has recently provided some details on Kalidou Koulibaly’s future on a recent episode of Why Always Us?

The Citizens have been trying to sign Koulibaly for much of the transfer window. It’s been a hard fight, with the Serie A club’s president wanting a huge fee and being unrealistic regarding his prospects of getting it.

City are reported to already have personal terms with the player but are refusing to match Aurelio de Laurentiis’ huge asking price for the defender. It is understood City had offered as much as £70m, leaving the two clubs apart in terms of the final fee.

Speaking on the recent episode of the ‘Why Always Us?’, Sam Lee shed some light on City’s chase of Koulibaly. 

ALSO READ: 

➽ ‘Done deal’ – Attacking midfielder confirms he’s moving to Manchester City

➽ ‘If they get him, we’re done’ – Fans reacts as Liverpool ‘actively trying to sign’ Man City defensive target

➽ ‘He’s unbelievable’ – Man City fans react as club owners’ make $10M bid for Argentine wonderkid

➽ Pep Guardiola has Bayern Munich’s emerging star in mind for Manchester City in 2021

➽ Football expert backed Man City to bid for €80m-rated ‘baby-faced assassin’ defender

Here is what he had to say:

“Koulibaly, I keep dancing around this, but if you haven’t heard, [the move for] Koulibaly is basically off. Like I said when I read out that live tweet earlier on, the story I wrote on Monday was Koulibaly is basically off – [City] made a take-it-or-leave-it offer, or an ultimatum, or however you want to call it around two weeks ago – and Napoli were like, ‘well forget it, then.’

“I don’t know who was calling whose bluff there, because City want him and Napoli want to sell, but the situation they’re in now is at the moment, they’ve walked away.”

City are reported to be targeting Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and Atletico Maldrid’s Jose Giménez as alternatives.