Norwich City are believed to be interested in Salernitana midfielder Lassana Coulibaly, although they face competition from clubs including Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.

Who is Lassana Coulibaly?

The 31-cap Mali international may be known to some fans in British football as he previously had a loan spell with Rangers, when they were managed by Steven Gerrard in the 2018/19 campaign.

However, things didn’t really go to plan for Coulibaly at Ibrox, as he struggled to establish himself as a regular and didn’t stay beyond the one season.

Nevertheless, his career has gone from strength to strength since, with the midfielder playing a key role for Salernitana in Serie A over the past two years, and it seems his form has caught the eye.

That’s after reports from Italy claimed that Norwich are rivalling Forest and Leicester in pursuit of the 27-year-old. Of course, a lot could depend on whether the Midlands duo can retain their Premier League statuses this month, as there is a possibility that they could both be relegated, with the Foxes in particular trouble.

Salernitana won’t be in a position where they have to cash in on their key man, as he has a deal that runs until the summer of 2026. A crucial victory over Atalanta last time out has effectively ended any fears the club had of suffering relegation this season as well.

Norwich move seems unlikely

In truth, it’s hard to see Norwich moving for Coulibaly this summer. That’s not to say he wouldn’t be an upgrade on what they have, as an energetic, all-round midfielder would be very welcome this summer, but it’s more that it seems a long shot from a financial perspective.

Even though the Canaries will spend this summer, the reality is that they’re going to have to sell this summer, and it’s hard to envisage they will splash out what would be a decent sum to bring Coulibaly in. Plus, at 27, and with his wages, it’s not the sort of signing you’d expect from Norwich, who are likely to be targeting younger players on the whole.

Nevertheless, most fans will be glad to see that midfield seems to be a target for the club this summer, and it promises to be a huge window as they look to reshape the squad. So, it will be interesting to see if anything comes of this, and who does come through the door over the coming weeks and months.