Former England boss Fabio Capello has explained why Kalidou Koulibaly is struggling in the Premier League. The 31-year-old joined Chelsea from Napoli in a deal which cost £33million and, initially, it looked like a great piece of business after scoring a superb volley on his competitive debut.
However, Koulibaly has become subject to growing criticism following his return from suspension after picking up a red-card in a 3-0 loss to Leeds United. He the proceeded to play a role in the Blues' defeat against Southampton a little over a week later.
And Capello believes that the Senegal international just needs to adapt to the speed of the Premier League after spending eight years in the Serie A. Koulibaly featured 236 times for Napoli in the Italian top-flight, establishing himself as one of the league's leading defenders.
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"I would like to talk about the difficulties of Koulibaly at Chelsea," Capello told Sky Calcio Club. "In Naples, he was doing everything by himself. His problems now depend on the speed with which they play in England. It’s the same pace used by Udinese to give Roma fits. It’s something that must make us Italians reflect."
Despite Capello's concerns, Thomas Tuchel has been impressed by Koulibaly since swapping the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for Stamford Bridge. Speaking to football.london, the Chelsea boss has sung the defender's praises and tipped him for a bright future.
Tuchel said: "He's a fantastic player and has a fantastic personality. I am so happy with what I see, not only that we convinced him to come to the club but how he behaves and trains.
"I see a lot of quality and everything that is needed to be a leading figure at Chelsea," the German added. "He is a massive player for us, and there's no doubt about it."
Koulibaly has been one of Europe's most coveted defenders in recent years, though a move away from Napoli never materialised until this summer. He helped Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations in January and is a player of serious pedigree for what could turn out to be a relatively shrewd fee if he can take on board Capello's advice.
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