Agent Open to Zinchenko’s Inclusion in Kalidou Koulibaly Deal

As the impasse between Manchester City and Napoli over the transfer of Kalidou Koulibaly persists, Alan Prudnikov has offered to help. The agent to Oleksandr Zinchenko is open to the possibility of his client moving to Napoli as a makeweight in the Koulibaly deal.

“Zinchenko in the Koulibaly negotiation? He is on the radar of Naples, three years ago there were meetings,” Prudnikov told Radio Marte.

“But for this, we have to ask Koulibaly’s agent, of whom we have the utmost respect as well as the Manchester City management.

“What if City called me to include Zinchenko in the negotiation? If it were to do so, we would listen to Napoli’s proposal and try to see what to do.”

It remains to be seen if City would be interested in such a deal. But time is running out and the club needs to sort out the issue as soon as possible so the player starts settling in.

After failing to defend the Premier League title last term, reclaiming top spot should be Pep’s target this time around. A balanced team will be necessary this term to stay ahead of the competition.

The clock is ticking towards City’s opening match of the new season. And with just over two weeks remaining in the transfer window, Guardiola needs to solve his biggest problem in the team. How the team performs at the back could make the difference between having a great season or just a good one.

It’s understandable then that plugging the holes at the back has been the club’s focus from the beginning of the transfer window.

Despite adding Nathan Ake to the team, it remains clear that is not enough. Of course, the Dutch international is a good centre-back in his own right. But City needs a standout figure in the position to serve as an ideal partner for Aymeric Laporte.

Koulibaly has been the preferred choice from the onset. Unfortunately, negotiations with the Italian club have been anything but smooth. The Naples-based side has refused to shift grounds from its initial demands, forcing City to look at alternatives.

Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez, Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and his partner Jules Kounde have all been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium but there has been no headway in any of negotiations.

In the end, City may need to pay up for Koulibaly or Gimenez to finally focus on the business of the new campaign.