PSG 'pull out of transfer tussle for Koulibaly due to high transfer fee'

Paris Saint-Germain are pulling out of the race to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to reports.

The 28-year-old centre back's valuation is believed to be around the £100m mark, and the Ligue 1 champions' hopes of a deal have been dashed with Napoli refusing to drop their asking price.

According to Le Parisien, PSG have decided that Koulibaly would be too expensive an acquisition in their hunt to replace the outgoing Thiago Silva.

A host of elite European clubs are said to also be circling in the hope of securing a deal for the highly-coveted star this summer.

However, the financial uncertainty stemming from the coronavirus crisis has rendered the transfer landscape unpredictable.

Clubs are suffering from the lack of match day income during the pandemic, and may even be forced into the sales of several stars.

But Napoli have insisted they are in a strong position to keep hold of Koulibaly, with PSG reportedly now the latest side to fall by the wayside.

Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli said: 'Kalidou is a great player, who still has a long contract with us. If we were to sell, the club could ask for a large sum.

'A player like this cannot change his value even in a crisis, so we are not moving our valuation.'

It was previously reported that Koulibaly, after a summit with Napoli chiefs, may be allowed to leave this summer if a bigger club submitted an offer - but the defender's deal runs out in 2023 and the club are standing strong on his their demands.

He remains one of the most sought-after stalwarts in the continent, having won the Serie A's Best Defender award last season.

But Koulibaly has also endured a tough campaign in Naples due to ongoing thigh injuries and last featured for the club in their defeat against Lecce in February.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with the centre back ahead of a crucial summer period for the Old Trafford outfit.