Kalidou Koulibaly

[Kush]

Too expensive I reckon, we'll end up picking Alderweireld for £25m and I'd be okay with that.

For me a bigger concern is spending most of our budget on a proper RB, CM and a RW. No wonder we look so dysfunctional when we don't have proper players in these positions.

 

[Ban]

He is exactly the type of defender we should be targeting... a commanding CB in his prime to pair with Lindelof.
Livers did the same with VVD and look at the effect he's had on their defense.

Agreed.

 

[Canagel]

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The passes forward is what we want. His distributing out of the back is excellent. I imagine Phil has higher pass success because all his passes are basic and simple.

 

[Canagel]

Let's see how he gets on against two good strikers like lacazette and aubameyang. I think he will demonstrate exactly why he's suited in the PL.

 

[The Boogeyman]

fecks sake, he's 27 (28 in June), the same age as VVD (nearly 3 weeks younger actually), is he over the hill too?

And, I'm not sure what those stats demonstrate, Bailly is our best defender or something?

But Liverpool already has nearly 1.5 seasons out of VVD. To buy VVD now for more than what Liverpool paid a year and a half ago would be pretty foolish, even with him being a proven commodity. To pay that for Koulibaly would be a bigger risk. 70 million pounds would be the absolute max I'd pay for him.

 

[Impulse]

So even 28 is too old?

28 is nearly 30, and 30 is nearly 40. That's retirement age. We need to be signing all of the 18 year old's who are already world class and have at least 5 years of top level experience behind them.

 

[Ian Reus]

28 is the new 29

 

[flappyjay]

28 is the new 29

Matic and Sanchez show that indeed it is. Keep mocking but transfers are a huge gamble and players at that age are an even bigger gamble. Madrid who are known to smash records only signed Zidane for a record fee in recent times at 29. Their next oldest was Kaka at 27 if I am not mistaken. Most times it's best to sign players for those kind of amounts when their younger. There's is a chance to move them on when they don't live up to expectations. Sanchez at Barca and James at Madrid come to mind.

 

[Ban]

28 is nearly 30, and 30 is nearly 40. That's retirement age. We need to be signing all of the 18 year old's who are already world class and have at least 5 years of top level experience behind them.

Yeah I think that's that basically. I mean with 28 year old you automatically need to find a replacement cause his legs are gone in 6 months.

 

[Ban]

Matic and Sanchez show that indeed it is. Keep mocking but transfers are a huge gamble and players at that age are an even bigger gamble. Madrid who are known to smash records only signed Zidane for a record fee in recent times at 29. Their next oldest was Kaka at 27 if I am not mistaken. Most times it's best to sign players for those kind of amounts when their younger. There's is a chance to move them on when they don't live up to expectations. Sanchez at Barca and James at Madrid come to mind.

Yeah 28 and no resale value is a potential disaster. The oldest I'd buy is 27.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Matic and Sanchez show that indeed it is. Keep mocking but transfers are a huge gamble and players at that age are an even bigger gamble. Madrid who are known to smash records only signed Zidane for a record fee in recent times at 29. Their next oldest was Kaka at 27 if I am not mistaken. Most times it's best to sign players for those kind of amounts when their younger. There's is a chance to move them on when they don't live up to expectations. Sanchez at Barca and James at Madrid come to mind.

To be fair defence is where you hardly have to run apart from short sprints. It's much easier on the body in terms of fitness than a winger or centre mid.

Koulibaly is still very fit, skillful and reads the game well. Not to mention he's pretty good on the ball his forward passing is much better than our current defenders.

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

Too expensive I reckon, we'll end up picking Alderweireld for £25m and I'd be okay with that.

For me a bigger concern is spending most of our budget on a proper RB, CM and a RW. No wonder we look so dysfunctional when we don't have proper players in these positions.

I'm in this camp. Toby is still one of the best defenders in the league and excellent on the ball so feel we will really have a slick, fast, free flowing team with additions to RB, CM and RW. 25m on him gives us so much to spent elsewhere.

 

[Sassy Colin]

To be fair defence is where you hardly have to run apart from short sprints. It's much easier on the body in terms of fitness than a winger or centre mid.

Koulibaly is still very fit, skillful and reads the game well. Not to mention he's pretty good on the ball his forward passing is much better than our current defenders.

Of course he is, he's in his fecking prime!

And that's a training ground video

 

[Sandikan]

28 for next season surely isn't too old for a centre back!

If he was a flying winger relying on pace, it's starting to get closer to an age you might see a drop off, but 28 for a centre back too old? NOT a chance.

 

[Sandikan]

28 is nearly 30, and 30 is nearly 40. That's retirement age. We need to be signing all of the 18 year old's who are already world class and have at least 5 years of top level experience behind them.

28 is nearer to 50 than birth as well. That needs to be remembered.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Of course he is, he's in his fecking prime!

And that's a training ground video

People are talking about him like he's on a zimmer frame!

and where are the training ground videos of Smalling / Lindelof / Jones doing this?

 

[RooneyLegend]

Spending the money on him instead of De Ligt would be extremely short sighted.

 

[Adisa]

Spending the money on him instead of De Ligt would be extremely short sighted.

What I'd De Ligt does not want to come?

 

[Rolaholic]

What I'd De Ligt does not want to come?

That's the main thing with De Ligt,he's got no competitive reason to join over the likes of Barca,Juve,Bayern and the rest of the heavyweights after his signature?

Besides money which should come either way for someone of his talent level

 

[RooneyLegend]

What I'd De Ligt does not want to come?

Offer him wages he can't refuse. We have to at least try.

 

[T00lsh3d]

Not having much fun tonight. Not all his responsibility but this Napoli defence looks awful

 

[Jacob]

Guess he's shit (not watching the game)

 

[FootyGirl88]

Guess he's shit (not watching the game)

He's done well, the only one that looks like he knows what he's doing. Was unlucky for the 2nd goal.

 

[Canagel]

He's the only one doing any defending currently.

 

[Ekeke]

Making Arsenal look good

 

[Woziak]

Koulibally might be a great defender but the days of us or other elite teams paying over £120M for one CB who might break his leg in the first PL game are gone, we can and will buy 2 young talented PL players plus T Auderweireld for that sum of money. Barcelona would probably let us have Samuel Umtitti for £50M now.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

Own goal but what a game he’s had tonight. Beastly one on one and can pass it well.

 

[Champagne Football]

Shockingly caught out of position for the first. Basic school boy error getting dragged out to the wing which cost Napoli the first goal. Great apart from that. For the astronomical price we'd have to pay - Toby might make more sense.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Own goal but what a game he’s had tonight. Beastly one on one and can pass it well.

Shockingly caught out of position for the first. Basic school boy error getting dragged out to the wing which cost Napoli the first goal. Great apart from that. For the astronomical price we'd have to pay - Toby might make more sense.

The truth has got to be in the middle somewhere

 

[Jim Reaper]

Toby is done. He will only decline now.

De Ligt if possible. If not then it has to be Koubaliy. No matter the high price. If we want to match the best and get back to where we should be then money needs to be spent and in todays market, we need to spend alot.

Toby would be against Ole's vision. Buying him because its a cheaper deal is the kind of thinking that led us to this decline.

 

[Patrick08]

Shockingly caught out of position for the first. Basic school boy error getting dragged out to the wing which cost Napoli the first goal. Great apart from that. For the astronomical price we'd have to pay - Toby might make more sense.

Did you watch VVD at Southampton?

 

[Thomas Hunter]

The likes of Chiellini or Ramos are over 33 and still the best cb out there. 28 is young enough, he's at the peak of his career and still have 5 or 6 years at top level. Why do you even care about the price ? This is the market now, we have the money, we should go for him. We need proven top playerd if we want to be a top team, they will only make us better and help younger players improve.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Did you watch VVD at Southampton?

Or his first few games for Liverpool, or Rio’s first game? Or Vidic early on? Or Gary Pallister early on?

 

[Adnan]

Or his first few games for Liverpool, or Rio’s first game? Or Vidic early on? Or Gary Pallister early on?

Or Stam's first game for us in the charity shield where Anelka gave him a torrid time?

 

[Adam-Utd]

The truth has got to be in the middle somewhere

His left back was nowhere to be seen and he got sucked towards the ball in an attempt to block it, but they passed through him and scored. Probably should have stayed in the middle and made them force it, but the defence was all at sea.

Apart from that he had a decent game against a rampant arsenal, they’re very good at home. Koulibaly remains better than any of our defenders, I’m sure we could get him for
60-70m plus Bailly.

 

[Harry190]

Aesthetically, he looks magnificent on the tv screen. Outstanding posture and physique.

 

[matherto]

I'd buy him just so we don't have to see any of our current CB's on the pitch other than Lindelof.

I'm sick of seeing Smalling, Jones, Bailly or Rojo on the pitch tbh and that's even accepting that Smalling has been very good since he returned from injury this season. I just want rid of them for good so we can move on.

 

[beingshe7don]

He was made to look like a Chump by Arsenal players. 100m for 27 year old who hasn't played in the PL is a bit risky. Van Dijk atleast played in the PL and was a superior defender when he played for Southampton.

 

[OohAahMartial]

I thought this guy would organise our defense? Yet seems he can't organise his current defense.

 

[The Nani]

Too expensive I reckon, we'll end up picking Alderweireld for £25m and I'd be okay with that.

For me a bigger concern is spending most of our budget on a proper RB, CM and a RW. No wonder we look so dysfunctional when we don't have proper players in these positions.

Exactly. Will need another CF option too if we manage to offload Lukaku for a decent fee.

I don’t see the point of spunking a huge fee on a ready-made, world class CB when we’re not even ready to compete on all fronts yet. By the time some of our younger players mature Koulibaly will be on the decline. Harsh but true.

The only CB I’d be happy to break the bank for is de Ligt.