There’s something about winning trophies that elevates the status of a player in the eyes of observers. A good player is viewed through a different prism after winning titles, and while there are holes in this sort of logic, it’s a widespread viewpoint nonetheless.
Take Kalidou Koulibaly for example; the sturdy Senegalese stopper is one of the best centre-backs in Europe, is highly adept with the ball at his feet and takes no prisoners defensively.
He’s become a leader in the Napoli dressing room in the last few years too and hasn’t been short of suitors all over the continent.
Yet, there’s that lingering feeling that he’s just a grade below Africa's truly great central defenders, partly due to his lack of major titles. While the former Genk defender’s quality is undisputed, his place in the pantheon of continental greats will forever be debated if there are no trophies to show for all his ability.
In fairness, it’s been no fault of his, as Napoli have had to battle the dominant Juventus for domestic success while the level of competition in Europe means chances of winning on the continent are equally slim.
After six years in Naples, though, it seems like the perfect time for the complete centre-half to seek success elsewhere.
Over the years, the very top sides have been linked with a move for the Gli Azzurri man, who’s been named in the Serie A Team of the Year on four consecutive occasions since 2015/16 and is the current Serie A Defender of the Year. To date, however, they have been priced out of a move by the tough negotiating Aurelio De Laurentiis.
With Napoli seemingly on the wane – they finished second last season but performances were often sub-standard and they'd dropped to sixth before the league’s suspension weeks ago – Internazionale on the rise again and sides like Lazio and Atalanta now pushing to supplant Juventus, this summer may be the perfect time for De Laurentiis to rebuild the side.
Clubs like Napoli have a knack for constantly spotting and acquiring talent and then selling assets at a profit after a few years, and the Senegal star won’t be short of admirers in the market.
However, dealing with the Italian side’s president has never been straightforward, so only a handful of clubs will be able to afford the centre-back.
Both Manchester clubs, City and United, are supposedly interested in acquiring the dependable defender, while usual suspects like Chelsea and Liverpool have unsurprisingly been mentioned too.
Outside England, Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are possible destinations while Paris Saint-Germain will certainly need a commanding figure to replace the ageing Thiago Silva sooner than later.
Of the aforementioned teams, moving to Los Blancos or Barca may be improbable as the former are unlikely to prioritise adding a centre-back, while the Catalan giants’ financial problems and the implausibility of making a marquee signing in defence means a transfer to Spain may not happen.
Frank Lampard’s Blues need a dominant character at the back given the failings of their central defensive quartet this term, but they are a side in transition and may not meet Koulibaly’s desire to compete for the biggest honours in the near future.
Man United have the prestige and clout, however standards have dropped in recent years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement which has seen the Red Devils also fail to compete with regularity.
That leaves Liverpool, Man City and PSG as the top sides that win consistently and are capable of affording the former Genk centre-half.
Be that as it may, the Reds may not splurge in that position as it could hinder Joe Gomez’s development, while the Citizens are unlikely to make any major transfer moves until their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a European ban by Uefa is heard.
Thus, PSG seem to be the only team that ticks the necessary boxes for the West African. The 28-year-old was also born in France and recently purchased a property in Paris which has led to increased speculation about his future.T
he attractiveness of Thomas Tuchel’s team increases given the likelihood of the Parisians constantly competing in the Champions League, coupled with their dominance in the domestic competitions.
Given trophies are somewhat guaranteed at the Parc des Princes, Koulibaly may opt to return to his second home if the Red and Blues make a move.
The perception that the Senegal international’s lack of success hasn’t matched his incredible ability is well-known, so choosing his next move wisely could be key in taking him level or above former and current defenders in Africa.
Such a step could see him take a path similar to Medhi Benatia, an impressive and dependable centre-back for Udinese and Roma who never won anything until transfers to Bayern Munich and Juventus boosted his trophy haul.
The Moroccan defender won four successive league titles in the Bundesliga and Serie A between 2014/15 and 2017/18, with further success recorded in the DFB Pokal and Coppa Italia in that time.
He left the Old Lady for Qatari side Al-Duhail in January 2019, having finally ended years of underachieving in Europe, a similar path Koulibaly must now take.
The Napoli defensive stalwart is blessed with the ability, now he needs the requisite success to match his undoubted talent, and that can only be achieved if he takes a leaf out of Benatia’s book.