Kalidou Koulibaly informs club he wants to join Barcelona before pre-season

Barcelona have received a major boost in their pursuit of one of their main defensive targets heading into the summer transfer window.

The Catalans are keen on adding a top-quality centre-half to the roster despite having a deal in place to sign Andreas Christensen on a Bosman transfer when his contract with Chelsea expires later this month.

And Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly has been identified as one of the two main targets by Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, along with Sevilla's Jules Kounde. But given the latter's price tag and competition for his signing, Koulibaly has emerged as the more viable option.

Now, Barcelona have received a major boost as Koulibaly has informed Napoli that he wishes to leave the club in the summer transfer window, reports CalcioNapoli24.

The 30-year-old's contract with the Partenopei expires in 2023 and he had already rejected a proposal for an extension. Taking a step further, he has now informed club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and manager Luciano Spalletti that he wants to leave the club this summer.

Furthermore, it is claimed that the Senegalese international is prioritising a summer transfer to Barcelona. The report claims that Koulibaly already has an understanding with the Catalans over his personal terms and is now waiting for the club to present a formal offer to Napoli.

It is stated that Barcelona could present Napoli with a formal bid in ten days' time after the meeting scheduled to trigger the economic levers takes place next week.

Building on top of these claims, SPORT reports that Koulibaly wants a move to Barcelona to be finalised at the earliest possible so he can arrive at the club in time for the pre-season which is scheduled to start in early July.

While Koulibaly's actions hand the Blaugrana a major boost in the transfer race, the club must sort out their finances before they can press ahead with a move for the Senegalese international or any other player for that matter.