RC Strasbourg have submitted a third bid for Werder Bremen centre-back Karim Coulibaly, increasing their offer to €20 million upfront with the total package potentially exceeding €25 million when bonuses are included.
According to German tabloid Bild, the French side have returned with their final proposal for the 19-year-old defender after seeing two previous approaches rejected by the Bundesliga club. The persistent pursuit reflects Strasbourg’s determination to secure the highly-rated teenager, with the improved financial terms representing a significant step up from earlier negotiations.
English Clubs Remain Interested
Strasbourg face potential competition from the Premier League for Coulibaly’s signature. Both Newcastle United and Chelsea have been linked with the centre-back, although neither club has yet materialised their interest into a formal offer matching Strasbourg’s latest bid.
The report indicates that the situation regarding English interest could develop further, particularly if Werder Bremen reject this third approach from France. For now, Strasbourg remain the only club to have advanced to the stage of submitting multiple concrete bids for the defender.
Decision Time for Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen must now decide whether to accept a substantial fee for a young player or risk retaining Coulibaly as the transfer window progresses. With Strasbourg declaring this their final offer, the German club face pressure to either conclude the deal or potentially see the French club withdraw from negotiations entirely.
The valuation, which could surpass €25 million, represents a considerable sum for a 19-year-old centre-back with limited top-flight experience. Should Werder accept, it would end the speculation linking Coulibaly with moves to Newcastle or Chelsea. If they reject it, the Premier League clubs may yet be tempted to enter the race with offers of their own.