Chelsea make a second bid for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, offering £43 million for the player.
Following the earlier rejection of a £42 million bid by Chelsea for SSC Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, a report in Il Messaggero claims that the Blues have made a second bid for the player, offering £43 million for him. This comes after reports in The Sun suggested that new manager Antonio Conte had decided to spend £140 million on three new players. After procuring the likes of Michy Batshuayi and N’Golo Kante, reports claim that Conte has been trying to convince the club to get Romelu Lukaku and Koulibaly onboard.
Koulibaly, who has been described by Maradona as “phenomenal” and the best defender in Serie A, has been one of Napoli’s top players in the recent past, finishing second in Serie A in his 2nd season with Napoli. The 25-year-old defender is known for displaying his versatility and tremendous ease in playing from different positions. While Napoli do not wish to let go of Koulibaly just yet, a recent statement from the player’s agent suggests that the Senegalese defender has made up his mind to leave. He had also revealed that Chelsea had shown an interest in getting the player. With the improved bid, Conte hopes to get the player before the transfer window for the season closes.
A defender of Koulibaly’s calibre is just want Conte needs at the moment to secure his back line. Once its great strength, defence has become, for Chelsea, a chink in its otherwise strong armour. In the previous season, the Blues conceded a total of 53 goals. While the figure exceeded the league’s best defence score by 8, it was 21 more than the number of goals scored against them in their winning season of 2014-15. Completely aware of the gaping void in his team’s defence, Conte is convinced that Koulibaly is the man he needs to complement Terry on the field.
