New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has identified centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly as one of his primary transfer targets, but nouveau riche Everton have now muscled in on the deal.
The 6ft 5in. Senegalese centre-back played a major role in Napoli’s race for the Serie A title this past season; I Partenopei led the table for months before being overtaken by eventual winners Juventus. Koulibaly made 42 appearances in all competitions as the first choice centre-back, partnering former Tottenham defender Vlad Ciriches and former Real Madrid man Raul Albiol.
Koulibaly’s solid performances at the back in 2015-16 have attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal. However, Chelsea have identified him as one of their primary transfer targets, with Italian manager Antonio Conte looking to shore up a Blues defence in serious need of reinforcement.
The London club have been linked with Koulibaly since May, when a number of Europe’s big clubs were put on high alert as contract negotiations between the defender and Napoli stalled. After having their initial bid rejected, Chelsea reportedly made a second bid of £23.3 million, which was also rejected. The latest reports claim that they have now made a third bid of £34 million for the defender in an effort to pry him away from the Neapolitans.
However, they could now be trumped by an unlikely competitor in the form of Everton. The Merseyside club have eclipsed Chelsea’s offer by informing Napoli that they intend to offer a £46 million transfer fee, according to Football-Italia. The Serie A club are reportedly stunned by this ‘absurd sum’ and will seriously consider the offer once it is officially presented.
Everton received a huge boost to their finances after former Arsenal shareholder and Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri became the biggest stakeholder of the club with 49.9% of the shares. The appointment of former Southampton manager Ronald Koeman was the first progressive step by the club which finished 11th in the Premier League last season.
The interest in Koulibaly could be due to the possible departure of John Stones, who is reported to be on his way to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Although Everton’s proposed offer is massive, Chelsea will not give up on their transfer target so easily, and it remains to be seen whether Roman Abramovich wants to engage in a bidding war for the Napoli defender.
