Arsenal have been in contact with Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly’s representatives, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
The Italian website reports Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is a keen admirer of the 26 year old and asked the club to enquire about the player’s availability. It seems however Arsenal’s interest was firmly knocked back by Napoli.
The Serie A side’s boss Maurizio Sarri is determined to keep the Senegalese international despite the centre back being one of Europe’s most in demand defenders.
Back in April, Napoli’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed the club had rejected a €55m bid from Chelsea for Koulibaly, suggesting that any transfer would be extremely difficult to pull off this summer.
It seems as though Arsenal are indeed in the market for a centre back. The Koulibaly rumour follows closely behind links to Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk. The Daily Express journalist Graham Read reports the Gunners may be lining up a £45m bid for the Dutch international.