At 6”1, the Senegalese Centre Back is one of the best in the world and is wanted by some of the most prestigious clubs, most notably Man United. However, in recent days, Di Marzio, a tier 1 highly reliable source, reported that Koulibaly is one of Tottenham’s transfer targets this summer and there is currently a very good feeling between his agents and Daniel Levy. This is no surprise given our dire situation at the back, but what are Koulibaly’s strengths/weakness and how do we, here on talking Tottneham, feel about the chances of seeing him in a Spurs shirt come the summer?
Strengths:
Despite being in a poor Napoli side and suffering a hamstring injury which saw him side-lined for 2 months, Koulibaly has maintained the same level of performance from previous seasons, performances which drew the attraction from some of the biggest clubs in the world. The best way to describe the 28 year old’s playing style is that it’s very similar to that of our own Davison Sanchez. He consistently comes to meet the man being very physical when doing so. He often uses his body to regain possession or protect the ball and reads the play exceptionally, always knowing where the danger is and as a result has quality in his slide tackles. His stats match up to this registering 1.1 interceptions per game, 2.6 tackles per games and 2.8 clearances per games. Another side to his games which is underrated is his technical ability. This season Koulibaly had 89% pass completion rate, which demonstrates how good he is on the ball, not panicking when picking out a pass, a trait Spurs have somewhat lacked over the last couple of seasons.
Weaknesses:
The stand out weakness would be the Napoli Centre Back’s age. At 28 years old, he far from young and with the £60-70 million price tag that Napoli would want for him, it would be a risk investing so much in an older player. On the flip side though, defenders tend not to age as quick as other positions so we should still get a good 4 years out of a consistent World Class player. Secondly, he maybe too similar to Sanchez. The Columbian is 5 years younger and possess all the same attributes. So from a business standpoint, it may not be a good move to invest in a player like Koulibaly when you have a player on the bench who is much younger and if with this potential could end up as world class as the man you brought in.
Picture: Getty
Verdict:
Bringing in Koulibaly would be a massive statement to the league and to the players in the dressing room. Splashing the cash on a player of his quality would not only massively improve Tottenham defensively but would send out a message to the league that Spurs really do mean business come the new season. You just have to look at Liverpool and how spending big on a player of Van Dijk’s quality has elevated the squad to new heights. Of course we also have other key issues to address but signing Koulibaly would be the perfect start to Jose’s first full season in charge and a point in the right direction for this football club.