An earlier report from the Metro claimed that Chelsea had tabled a £88million bid for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly. The 27-year-old Senegalese international was a long-term target for the Blues but Maurizio Sarri’s arrival at Stamford Bridge might enhance their chances of landing the highly-rated centre-back. (h/t Mirror)
Koulibaly started his professional career in 2010 with French club Metz, before moving to Belgium with Genk in 2012. He caught the eye with some impressive performances in the Belgian league and shifted base to the Serie A with Napoli in 2014. Since then, the Senegalese international has made a total of 130 appearances for the Naples-based outfit, scoring 8 goals.
Chelsea have hit the ground running under new manager Maurizio Sarri and the Blues have won six out of their first eight games in the Premier League this season. They had a perfect record for the first five games but were held to 0-0 and 1-1 draws against West Ham and Liverpool respectively.
Prior to the Liverpool game, Chelsea played some aesthetic free-flowing football under their new manager but looked quite susceptible to quick counter-attacks and aerial balls played into the penalty area. However, the defenders played a key role in helping the Blues earn a point against Liverpool as Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz both made crucial goal-line clearances to deny Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino respectively.
Sarri has persisted with Rudiger and Luiz in the heart of the defence so far this season and the duo has finally developed a healthy partnership. On the other hand, the manager hasn’t shown much confidence in veteran Gary Cahill and youngster Andreas Christensen.
Given Gary Cahill’s age and the uncertainty over his future, Luiz and Rudiger are the only quality centre-backs in the squad. The Blues will face a crisis situation if either of them is sidelined due to an injury or a suspension. Hence they need another quality centre-back to bolster their options.
Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is arguably one of the best centre-backs in the Serie A. Standing at 6ft 5 inches with a gigantic frame, he is blessed with exceptional physicality. A defender with a good positional sense, the 27-year-old is an excellent reader of the game at the back and dominates the opposition with his aerial ability. He has won a whopping 2.4 aerial duels per game this season.
Koulibaly’s levels of concentration and composure has improved greatly over the past few seasons and former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri deserves credit for that. He rarely lets the team down and is exceptionally quick and agile for a defender of his stature.
Koulibaly has averaged an impressive 1.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game this season but his poor disciplinary record could be worrisome. The Senegalese international has a habit of picking up random yellow cards and often concedes fouls in crucial areas of the pitch.
However, his assets outweigh his liabilities as a defender and Chelsea should not hesitate to revive their interest in the 27-year-old when the transfer window opens in January.