Transfer News: World-class defender sacks agent amid Manchester United transfer rumours
What's the story?
Napoli's star defender Kalidou Koulibaly parted ways with his agent, Bruno Satin, overpressure from the player's family who want a bigger chunk of the finances surrounding any future transfer. He has appointed his brother as his new agent as he looks to make a big-money move away from Serie A this summer.
In case you didn't know...
Kalidou Koulibaly is a 27-year-old centre-back who plays for both Napoli and the Senegal national team. He is a key player for Napoli at the back and has been an asset to the club over the last couple of campaigns.
Koulibaly has been on the radar of a number of top European clubs in recent months and it would appear that they plan to make their interest known with a big offer this summer.
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was reportedly interested in the defender before the start of last season but no offer ultimately materialised.
Napoli will struggle to keep hold of Koulibaly if these big clubs do openly make them an offer, as the 27-year-old is bound to want a fresh challenge now while he's still in his peak.
Having said that, they did sign him up to a new contract last summer, which means that the club will be under no obligation to sell; however, if Koulibaly kicks up a stink, then they might have no choice but to let him go lest he disturbs the rest of the team's morale.
The heart of the matter
As mentioned previously, one of the main reasons behind his brother's appointment is to ensure that he and his family take home as much money from an impending big-money transfer as possible.
Not a great deal is known about Koulibaly's brother as an agent and whether he'll be as proficient as Bruno Satin was, but the hardest task for an interested club is getting past Napoli's chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis, who has a reputation for being a notoriously tough negotiator.
De Laurentiis will want an offer in the region of £90m to £100m before he puts the pen to paper, allowing clubs to negotiate personal terms with Koulibaly. If everything goes to plan and he's sold for this price, Koulibaly will become the most expensive defender in the world.
Given that the Senegalese international will be 28 years old by the time the summer rolls round, his market value right now will certainly be at its peak, so Napoli -- if money is what they're after -- will understandably want to sell him now rather than later.
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What's next?
It's well known now that Koulibaly is seeking a move away from Napoli this summer, but where he might go is anyone's guess.