With Matthijs de Ligt costing over €100m and Milan Skriniar heading to PSG, Chelsea have reportedly turned to Napoli hero Kalidou Koulibaly instead.
The Blues seem determined to get their new centre-back from Serie A this summer, but are finding it a more expensive situation than they had previously believed.
Juventus could sell De Ligt after failing to agree a contract extension, but they want at least €100m to approach the release clause, turning down the offer of cash plus Timo Werner.
Another candidate was Inter defender Skriniar, but he is reportedly close to Paris Saint-Germain, who agreed personal terms and should reach the €70m asking price with add-ons.
Sky Sport Italia therefore report this evening that Chelsea have turned to another alternative, Napoli star Koulibaly.
His contract will run out in June 2023 and so far he has not been able to agree a renewal, largely because the Partenopei want everyone at the club to take a massive pay cut.
This already pushed Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens out, with Koulibaly potentially following out of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Koulibaly has said clearly he wants to remain, but like Mertens, the club may well have other ideas and would accept a €40m fee.
If he was to leave, it would be to go abroad rather than their rivals Juventus, which gives Chelsea the upper hand.
Fans and local media are determined to get Napoli to push a little harder and pay the €6m wage demands.
Kalidou Koulibaly, one more name in the list for Chelsea as they keep searching for two centre backs. He’s out of contract with Napoli in 2023. 🔵 #CFC
Been told there are conversations also on Koulibaly alongside de Ligt, Aké, Koundé. Focus on Raphinha, and then centre backs.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 28, 2022
Funny how english clubs love to take away from Serie A the best players, but even their rubbish it’s hard for them to sell. Premier League = Oil League. No competition anymore, only money plays the game. GTFOH!!
Get over it. You may not like the premier league, but objectively it is the best league in the world. They rebranded it in 1992 when it was a backwater. Serie a was the cream of the crop but they got complacent, lazy and stuck to their traditions. All well and good, but time does not stand still and the natural evolution of mankind is to progress. Nothing will change in Italy as they like red tape, drama and their economy has been stagnant for 20 plus years. With all due respect, they are not even smart enough to adopt the German method. They had a rough time when their national team were at rock bottom. They were prudent to change the entire youth structure in alliance with the all divisions from top to bottom. Get over it and get a plan or put up with players leaving for oil run clubs.
Agree with @Jeremy. Any 80-90s kids will tell the same; that it’s the other way around back then, but also anyone who already follow Serie A since those period will notice that nothing have changed. We are not evolving much. Now we’ve missed 2 WCs in a row, also big clubs are neglecting our own youngsters or shun them away for near-old-expiring players and foreigners so for me it is actually getting worse. England’s own national team is a scam, they won’t won anything anymore because their reputation is built on media sensation and over hyped analysis, but EPL is the best league in the world right now.
Again good logic and based facts @Jeremy. What is even more remarkable about the premier league brand, is the fact that England has horrid weather, largely bad food and no culture. Yet the foreigners go to Manchester as money changes everything. Italy has a good climate, food, culture and a lifestyle better suited to top talent. It just shows how bad they are at formulating any long term plan let alone any strategy at all. G7 country in name only and lucky that the status quo has not been taken away. They would not be allowed to host a world cup as the stadiums are worse than many third world countries.
Just look at all the big names linked to Serie A this season…Di Maria….umm…Origi?
That in and of itself is enough of a sign. Italian clubs are broke as heck and Covid just deepened the hole. The reason for so many Americans getting in to buy clubs is because they see how investment could provide a very good return based on how poorly the clubs are run.
Weve all been talking stadia for 20 years and nothing happens. More talk amd no action.
Get to the forums wiseguys.
Perhaps Napoli supps can organise a crowdfunding to help pay for the wages of the players they like to keep. Or these so called dedicated players can take the cuts, but snap; 6m or 4m; that’s a couple of buttered buns less in the weekend.