The latest transfer news from around the Premier League gives us plenty of intriguing tidbits with Liverpool linked with a move for Kalidou Koulibaly the headline news.
First up, Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser will be interesting a lot of clubs as he becomes a free agent this summer and the Scottish winger is reportedly to be keen on a move to Tottenham.
Fraser, 26, has let his contract run down at Bournemouth and he’s been linked with moves to Arsenal and Liverpool in the past. But according to multiple reports, ‘wee man’ would like a move to Tottenham to play for Jose Mourinho.
On paper, that would actually be a very good spot for him to land. Is he going to play at Liverpool or Arsenal regularly? Definitely not at Liverpool and probably not at Arsenal.
Fraser had an exceptional 2018-19 season, registering the second-most assists (14) in the Premier League. This season he’s gone off the boil a little but his contractual situation hasn’t been easy and he’s admitted his focus hasn’t been right. That is refreshingly honest and you have to say that free agents like Fraser will now be in huge demand as clubs around the globe are hit hard by the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
A speedy winger providing for a focal point of a striker is something Mourinho loves and with Harry Kane in the middle and Fraser and Heung-min Son on each wing with Dele All and Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso buzzing around, Tottenham’s attack would be pretty stacked and balance. Now, that defense...
Talking about defense, Liverpool have reportedly reached out to Napoli about signing Kalidou Koulibaly to strengthen theirs.
The Senegalese center back, 28, has long been linked with a move to just about every Premier League club in the top 10 but according to Tutto Mercato in Italy, Jurgen Klopp’s side have reached out about his availability.
With Joel Matip suffering injuries throughout the 2019-20 season, Joe Gomez has stepped in to fill the gap admirably but there are still some lingering concerns about who is best suited to play alongside Virgil van Dijk at center back.
Per the report, Koulibaly is seen as the answer to any of Napoli’s financial problems as they are unlikely to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Koulibaly has been sensational for Napoli over the last six seasons but Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is ready to sell him even if the current decrease in transfer valuation means he will get less than the $130 million previously asked for the towering center back.
Bringing in a new center back probably shouldn’t be top of Klopp’s wish-list but if Liverpool can acquire Koulibaly for less than $100 million, that would be a very, very good deal. They know that after coming up against Koulibaly on seemingly a yearly basis in the Champions League and only beating Napoli once in their last four attempts.