Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly sends congratulatory message to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
According to popular Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Chelsea are in direct contact with the agent of Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly with a view to signing him from Napoli this summer.
The Blues have been linked with a number of centre-backs this summer but Koulibaly might turn out to be the most realistic option among them all. The Senegalese superstar has a contract that expires next summer and he is yet to renew his contract with the Serie A giants.
This means that the Italian club might be forced in their hand to sell their star man and Chelsea have a real opportunity to sign him this summer. He is unlikely to cost much considering his age and contract and would be the perfect signing for the Blues.
Koulibaly joined Napoli from Genk way back in 2014 and he has since then gone on to become one of the best defenders in Serie A and arguably the world. He is a Naples legend in his own right and his performances have never dropped all these years.
Even the past season, the Senegalese man was exceptional for Napoli in the Serie A and Europa League leading the team with his performances. In 34 games for the Italian club last season, Koulibaly scored three goals and provided three assists across all competitions.
He is a natural leader at the back is Koulibaly and is a very commanding presence the team can look up to. He is just the kind of player Chelsea need especially with Antonio Rudiger leaving the Blues to join Real Madrid for the next season.
Koulibaly can perfectly play the role that the German executed with utmost perfection under Thomas Tuchel. The Senegalese man is capable of driving forward with the ball at his feet too, something that Rudiger used to do exceptionally well.
Although it takes time sometimes for players to adapt to the Premier League, it should not be an issue for a player of Koulibaly’s experience. At 31, the Napoli man has a lot of footballing experience behind him and he could put it to good use at Stamford Bridge.
The presence of Eduardo Mendy, his Senegalese teammate could really help Koulibaly settle into the team and acclimatise to English football really soon. Signing the Senegalese superstar seems to make sense from all perspectives and it is an option that we hopefully do not pass on.
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