Kalidou Koulibaly has shown "no personality" at Chelsea and is not reproducing the same form which earned him his big-money move from Napoli.
That's an opinion held by former England manager Fabio Capello, who believes that Koulibaly isn't performing to his usual standards following the Blues' 3-0 win over AC Milan on Wednesday night. The Senegal international made his first start under new manager Graham Potter as Chelsea ran out comfortable winners at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Wesley Fofana, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Reece James earned the Blues their first Champions League victory of the season to put them second in their group. It was a dominant performance from Potter's men, who started the game on the front foot and stormed to a three-goal win.
However, Capello was less than satisfied with Koulibaly's display, with the 31-year-old starting in a back-three alongside Fofana and Thiago Silva. The ex-England boss stated Koulibaly isn't showing the same level of confidence in possession and quality with the ball at his feet since joining the Blues.
"At Chelsea he has no personality," Capello told Sky Sports Italy. "When he has the ball at his feet he hesitates. He is not playing quickly, he does not do what he did at Napoli.
"At Napoli he commanded, he came forward, he made long passes, now he has the ball between his feet, he does not know who to pass it to and he always plays passes to someone only a few metres away.
"Actually, he is surprising me. I thought he had a great personality, and for Chelsea he would be really important and explode straight away. And yet, at this moment, this is not him."
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Koulibaly didn't start Potter's first two games in charge against RB Salzburg and Crystal Palace, but the new Chelsea manager insisted the defender's response to not playing has been superb. This resulted in Koulibaly returning to the XI against the Serie A champions.
Potter said before the game: "I've been really impressed with him. As a person he is honest, and he understands his situation in terms of having to wait a little bit to play. Every player will say they’re not happy with that, but it’s how you respond. His response has been fantastic, very hard-working, very honest, and he’s trained really well.
"He’s come from a club and a country he was very familiar with and comfortable with. Making the step into the Premier League is not so easy. Things have happened with changes at the club, so it’s not the perfect situation for him, but he’s a top player and a top person. With that character, he will play an important role for us, that’s for sure."
