Juventus trying to poach Barcelona target, have made official offer

Barcelona’s summer has been off to a tumultuous start. Ousmane Dembele has become a free agent. The Catalans are yet to announce the signings of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen despite having an agreement over a Bosman move for a long time now.

Their pursuit of Robert Lewandowski has encountered constant roadblocks due to Bayern Munich’s reluctance to sell the striker.

At the same time, Barça are running the risk of missing out on Raphinha, with Chelsea having an agreement with Chelsea. The chances of signing Jules Kounde are also bleak due to Sevilla’s price tag for the Frenchman.

Now, Barcelona could also face the prospect of missing out on Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly. According to Italian publucation La Repubblica (h/t Area Napoli) Juventus have lodged an official opening offer for the 31-year-old defender, who is also on the radars of Barça.

Koulibaly has entered the final year of his contract with Napoli this summer and has not shown an inclination to sign a new deal.

Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is hoping to cash in on the defender in the current transfer window to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing next year. The Partenopei have slapped a price tag of €40 million on the Senegalese defender.

As per the report, Juventus’ offer is less than the valuation that Napoli have slapped on Koulibaly. Furthermore, it is claimed that the former KRC Genk ace does not wish to join the Bianconeri due to his loyalty to his current club.

So, all is not lost for Barça, who could still make a move for the 31-year-old defender, who is a proven performer at the highest level and would add quality and leadership to their backline.