Could Manchester City be eyeing a Koulibaly alternative?
With the Kalidou Koulibaly transfer continuing to drag, Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain has reportedly arrived in Spain. While many speculate that this has to do with Lionel Messi’s potential transfer, it could also be Diego Carlos.
The Kalidou Koulibaly to Manchester City transfer saga grows uglier by the day. With the move dragging, inconsistent reports, and the season approaching as we head into September, it would be imprudent for City to not begin to look for alternatives. That is reportedly happening as City could have reignited their interest in Sevilla defender Diego Carlos.
Txiki Begiristain has arrived in Spain to try and negotiate Lionel Messi’s potential departure, but a report emerged that he will use his time to look at a Sevilla defender. That surely points to Carlos, where all news had gone quiet as the Koulibaly deal took center stage. However, I predicted weeks ago that as the saga continued to drag, the less likely a deal was to get done, and that appears to be at its most true right now.
City need to bring in another defender no matter what, and whether or not this potential Carlos agreement will be used as leverage in negotiations with Napoli or as a viable alternative, it is wise for the club to do so. The Koulibaly saga, as are most negotiations with Napoli, is infuriating, and City may just walk away entirely if a deal cannot finally be reached.
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Koulibaly is a significantly better player than Carlos, but he is also older and more expensive. Carlos was brilliant in La Liga this season, but seriously worries me in terms of his capacity to make mistakes, as seen throughout Sevilla’s Europa League title run. The Brazilian gave away penalties in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final of the tournament, but showed his athleticism when his bicycle kick forced the own goal that won the final for the Andalusian club.
City need to get something done in this window, and despite his weaknesses, Carlos is far from a terrible choice. I believe he can be a good solution, but will not bring the world-class pedigree of a player like Koulibaly. However, Aymeric Laporte was not a world-renowned defender prior to his arrival at the Etihad, but rather a promising talent in La Liga, much like Carlos. All in all, whether he is a negotiating piece or the final product, City are proceeding wisely.