One of Chelsea's main defensive targets Kalidou Koulibaly has been warned off accepting 'vile money' by Napoli president Aurelien De Laurentiis, who is trying to convince the centre-half that his future remains in Italy ahead of the summer transfer window opening.
The Blues are on the hunt for new defensive signings with at least four defenders in different positions set to depart, and with the full takeover now completed by Todd Boehly's consortium, plans are being put in place for the summer transfer window. Alongside the likes of Jules Kounde and Josko Gvardiol, another name reportedly on the wish-list is long-term target Koulibaly.
Napoli's No.26 has one year remaining on his current deal and it seems as though he's ready for a new challenge. Barcelona and Chelsea are reportedly both interested in the 30-year-old. However, Xavi's side are also in pole position to acquire three Chelsea defenders this summer in the form of Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso despite their current financial woes.
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Acquiring the services of Edouard Mendy's international teammate for a fee which could rise up to £60million according to Mundo Deportivo could be worth it, but with big money already set to be spent on Jules Kounde, cheaper and in-house options could be prioritised ahead of purchasing the Senegalese international. On top of this, another complication in this potential transfer operation lies with the fact that Aurelien De Laurentiis is not an easy club president to negotiate with, as Marina Granovskaia and co-found out when trying to prise Jorginho and Maurizio Sarri out of the Southern Italian city.
The time it took to complete that operation is time that the new Chelsea board simply don't have on their hands with a complete squad revamp and rebuild in multiple areas required if the 19 and 18 point gap is to be closed at the top of the 2022/23 Premier League table to Man City and Liverpool respectively. However, if the Blues were to go in hard for Koulibaly in the forthcoming months, De Laurentiis has warned him of the options on the table: stay and become a Napoli icon or leave for the 'vile money' options this summer.
"Koulibaly and Mertens are two footballers I respect, whom I love very much, but it will only depend on them to see if the vile money is the only thing that can satisfy them or if living in Naples, living a philosophically different situation, can be a privilege," he warned via Corriere Della Sera. "Otherwise it is a problem that no longer concerns me."
Chelsea fans- would you take Kalidou Koulibaly this summer over other options like Pau Torres in Josko Gvardiol? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
