Europa League: 3 Napoli players Arsenal wished they had
Ahead of tonight's Europa League match between Arsenal and Napoli, we are going to take a look at three players the Gunners wish they had in their side.
Make no mistake, the current Arsenal side is still very strong, but there are certain aspects to the squad that could do with improvements, particularly where the defence is concerned. Players like Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi have been poor this season, so they could be set for the exit door this summer.
As for Napoli, their side is decent but most of their players are just above average, nothing more. And with so many top European clubs hunting down their star players, they could be even worse off by the beginning of next season.
#3 Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly is a 27-year-old centre-back who has represented Senegal 32 times since making his debut in September 2015. Koulibaly did initially play for France's U20 team but ultimately decided to go with Senegal after four years with the former side.
Koulibaly is easily Napoli's best defender and is arguably one of the best in the world right now, hence interest from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. He has featured in 26 matches for Napoli so far this season and kept clean sheets in 13 of them (50%).
Arsenal would be right to be interested in the Senegalese giant, as he would be a complete rock at the back, potentially replacing the ageing Koscielny to work alongside Rob Holding. His brute strength and surprising turn of pace would work wonders in the Premier League for the Gunners.
The only thing that might put them off, though, is Koulibaly's £65m price tag. It's a lot of money to spend on one player, but with all he's proven so far for Napoli, it could be a gamble worth taking.