Chelsea are very confident in signing Kalidou Koulibaly, and an agreement with Napoli is close, a source has told football.london. The 31-year-old defender has less than 12 months remaining on his contract with the Italian club and could be available for a cut-price deal this summer.
The Blues, who retain an interest in Nathan Ake and Matthijs de Ligt, are looking to bring in at least two new central defenders this summer. After losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers, Thomas Tuchel has been left short of options in the centre-back position.
As first reported by The Athletic, Chelsea and Napoli are in talks over a deal for a proposed €40million (£33.8m) fee. The Senegal international is still very highly rated at Napoli despite being over 30, and they have offered him a deal to extend his stay.
READ MORE: The £40m Thiago Silva transfer lesson Chelsea must learn from amid Kalidou Koulibaly interest
However, it's understood that Koulibaly wants to leave Naples this summer, with numerous clubs – including Juventus – also keeping a close eye on his situation. Chelsea could have an ace card up their sleeve, though, in trying to lure Koulibaly to Stamford Bridge.
Edouard Mendy. The Senegal goalkeeper plays international football with Koulibaly – and it appears the pair get on very well, judging by past comments.
Speaking about his international team-mate earlier this year after Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy was left out of the 30-man list for the Ballon d'Or award, Koulibaly said: "We must continue to work and move forward.
"We have to do the double [the work] of some people to be well judged. Edou is a very positive person. We talked about it together. He will continue to fight to be a part of it. For me, he has a place among those 30 players."
Also, earlier this year, Koulibaly praised Mendy as "the best in the world" following Senegal's African Cup of Nations triumph against Egypt. The Napoli defender said: "It was a tough game and a tough tournament. We made it with our team and our power. Our goalkeeper is the best in the world, and we win the title."
READ NEXT:
