Kalidou Koulibaly confirmed a possible move to Chelsea with a single statement as the Senegal star closes in on signing with the Blues.
In the latest twist in the saga involving Chelsea looking for a new central defender, Kalidou Koulibaly has emerged as a pivotal target. After chasing many big-name stars, the Blues look poised to settle for the 31-year-old Serie A heavyweight.
Chelsea initially wanted to sign Matthijs De Ligt but bowed out of the race for the Dutchman once it was apparent he wanted to move to Bayern Munich. They also had Jules Kounde on their radar for over a year, but the interest in the Frenchman has cooled off.
Koulibaly’s name emerged as a potential replacement for Antonio Rudiger, and now Chelsea are on the verge of signing the Senegal international in a deal worth €40 million. The Blues have offered him a significant salary package with a move to Stamford Bridge now on the horizon.
And now Koulibaly all but confirmed an imminent move to Chelsea with a statement. Journalist Romain Collet-Gaudin’s tweet carries the quote from the centre-back, where he gave a major hint about the potential transfer to the Premier League.
Koulibaly said, “I’ll confirm that later but it’s on the right track.”
There has been a bit of a circus for centre-backs in the transfer market this summer. Chelsea, Juventus, and Bayern Munich are in the thick of things. The Serie A giants are resigned to losing De Light in this window and wanted Koulibaly to replace the Dutchman.
However, Koulibaly was uninterested in joining Juventus, as his head was turned around by Chelsea’s proposal. Stamford Bridge seems to be his potential new destination, with the Blues reportedly looking to invest significantly in the 31-year-old star.
The Senegal international is expected to become a central part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans for next season. Koulibaly will drastically improve Chelsea’s backline ahead of next season, possibly even making them contenders for the title. He would give them a base at the back they had with Rudiger before, with the Senegal international seeming like the perfect replacement for the Real Madrid ace .
