According to Calciomercato, Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly is not keen on joining Everton despite manager Carlo Ancelotti’s desire to reunite with him.

The Toffees are willing to table a huge bid for his signature, but the Senegal international wants to join a club that play regular Champions League football, and that has handed Liverpool an edge in the race.

According to Le10Sport, the Reds are actually in pole position to sign Koulibaly as boss Jurgen Klopp reckons he will be the perfect partner for Virgil van Dijk.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Newcastle United have also been linked with the Napoli star, with the Magpies said to be willing to offer him €12 million-a-year, but their inability to provide Champions League football rules them out.

While a move to Goodison Park hasn’t been completely ruled out, it’s believed that Everton are way down on his list of preference.

Sources close to the centre-back are fairly optimistic about his chances of joining Liverpool, with Klopp reportedly confident that he would be a big hit at the club.

Despite dominating in the Premier League this term, the Anfield outfit have been exposed at the back at times, with their struggles against Atletico Madrid showing that they still need more quality defensively.

While Joe Gomez has been impressive, Koulibaly will no doubt be an upgrade, and having him alongside VVD will definitely make Liverpool even harder to defeat.