Jurgen Klopp 'calls Kalidou Koulibaly' to lay out his plans ahead of transfer window

Jurgen Klopp has reportedly made contact with Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly over a move to Anfield this summer.

The Liverpool boss is said to have called Koulibaly to outline his plans for the next 12-18 months.

Included in the discussion was how Klopp sees the centre-back slotting into his lineup alongside Virgil van Dijk.

Reports have already suggested Klopp has taken a similar approach with Red Bull Leipzig striker Timo Werner as he looks to add to his squad ahead of a potential title defence next season.

Koulibaly, 28, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, with Newcastle also interested in landing his signature.

But according to Le10 Sport, Klopp has made the first move, and Koulibaly has been flattered by Liverpool's interest.

Such a move seems unlikely this summer, given that Napoli would command a huge fee for their star defender.

Koulibaly is rated at around £90million, though his club could be prepared to accept a lower bid in the current economic climate, with a fee of £65m being mooted.

Even so, that is a significant financial outlay for Liverpool, who are already refusing to meet Werner's release clause at Leipzig.

Mirror Football reported that Liverpool are prepared to turn their backs on a move for the German striker.

Werner has a £52million release clause, but Liverpool now value him at just £30m in light of the recent pandemic.

However any hopes of sealing a cut-price deal have been rejected by Leipzig chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff, who says the club won't be held to ransom.

"It won't get any cheaper. We will not sell a player below value if he is under contract for more than a year," Mintzlaff told Sport Bild, via Goal.com.

Napoli are likely to take a similar stance with Koulibaly, who is still under contract until 2023, making a transfer this summer another difficult obstacle for Liverpool to overcome.

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