Transfer news: Juventus are planning a move for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly amid interest from Chelsea
Chelsea target Kalidou Koulibaly is also being monitored by Juventus, who plan to make a move for him, according to Italian media outlet Sport Media Set(h/t Football London).
Juventus are also in the market for a new centre-back, following the departure of club legend Giorgio Chiellini on a free transfer. Bringing in Koulibaly will address this gap in defence, giving Juventus one of Serie A’s top veterans.
Both Chelsea and Juventus could potentially enter into a bidding war, as Koulibaly has not renewed his contract at Napoli. Barcelona is another club also named as a potential destination.
The Blues have to reinforce their defence following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. Koulibaly was touted as a potential candidate to move to Stamford Bridge to address this exodus but the Blues face a real fight on their hands to land the defender.
The Senegalese is one of the best central defenders in Italy. He has much experience of playing at the top level and can perform off the bat for Chelsea. A regular starter for both club and country, he played in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, and helped his country to win the trophy and also qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
A priority for Chelsea?
Currently, the only trusted centre-back by Thomas Tuchel in Chelsea is Thiago Silva. But with the veteran defender being 37 years of age, he can’t be expected to be a regular starter for the team. A world-class centre-back is the need of the hour and Koulibaly fits that bill.
An imposing figure at the back, Koulibaly is exceptionally good in the air and adept with the ball at his feet. With Jules Kounde also potentially arriving at the Bridge, signing Koulibaly would send out a message to other top Premier League teams that Chelsea means business this summer.
Since his arrival at Napoli from KRC Genk in 2014, he has established himself as one of the best in Italy and perhaps also the world. Tuchel would love to have such a commanding figure at the back and he would also help in relaxing the defence problem at Stamford Bridge, to a certain extent.
Napoli might choose to cash in on him, should they fail to keep him, and they could test Chelsea’s determination to land the defender. Malang Sarr has just returned back from his loan at Porto and Trevoh Chalobah has been promoted to the senior team, but they will most likely be used as backup options at the back.
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It seems it will be a long summer for Chelsea and whether Koulibaly will provide a bit of cool at the Bridge is yet to be seen. The Blues faithful would, however, love to chant his name at the Bridge.