Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern have always made it clear that they’re happy with their club’s business last summer, although they admit they were disappointed to see some deals fall through.
One big name that Antonio Conte was pushing for was Napoli central-defender Kalidou Koulibaly, with the Blue seeing a massive £47m swoop rejected by the Italian side – which led Chelsea to turn their attention towards David Luiz.
Luiz has since excelled in the Premier League since his return to Stamford Bridge from Paris Saint-Germain but additional defensive improvements are expected this summer, which could see Koulibaly’s name plastered across the back-pages once again.
Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis has also handed a boost to Chelsea in their quest to sign the Senegalese defender, as he told BeIn Sports, as reported by The Sun, that he blocked an exit due to Napoli’s struggles to find a replacement.
“Chelsea had offered €55m, but I told Conte that I could not give him up without first having a worthy substitute. I will not sell the player unless Sarri (Napoli manager) tells me: “I have Tom, Dick and Harry who are reliable: you give up who you want.”
Those comments increase the likelihood of Koulibaly leave the Naples outfit this summer, as long as they can find a replacement, and our landlord is expecting Chelsea to express their interest once again.
Would Koulibaly significantly improve Chelsea’s defence? Let us know in the comments below!
