Chelsea
Chelsea To Table Improved £23m Bid For Serie A Defender
Chelsea are set to table an improved £23m bid for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly after seeing their opening offer rejected by the Serie A club
The opening of the summer transfer window is fast approaching so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Chelsea are linked with Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly……..
Chelsea are set to table an improved £23m bid for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly after seeing their opening offer rejected by the Serie A club, according to the Express.
Incoming Blues boss Antonio Conte isn’t due to officially take over the reigns at Stamford Bridge until he fulfill’s hit duties with the Italian squad at Euro 2016 but it looks as though the 46-year-old has already started making plans for life in West London.
The Express claim Conte instructed Chelsea officials to hold talks with Napoli over a potential deal for Koulibaly but the former Premier League champions saw an opening offer rejected by the Italian outfit.
However, the newspaper – who cite Gazzetta dello Sport as the original source – suggests that the Blues haven’t given up and are now expected to return with an improved offer worth around £23.3m (€30m), which could be enough to persuade Napoli to cash-in.
The Naples club are desperate to keep hold of the Senegal international but are realistic enough to know they may have to sell if a tempting enough offer is put on the table and Chelsea certainly have the financial power to get a deal done.
Conte is expected to be busy in the transfer market this summer rebuilding the Chelsea squad following a disastrous campaign with a long-term successor to John Terry likely to be a priority and Koulibaly would be a solid addition.
The 24-year-old broke in to the Napoli first team this season and was hugely impressive during his 42 appearances in all competitions having helped the club secure a second placed finish in Serie A behind champions Juventus.
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Koulibaly would give Conte the depth he needs in the middle of defence as he would compete for a starting spot alongside Terry, Gary Cahill and Matt Miazga, and the imposing 6ft 5ins centre-back should have no problems adapting to the physical nature of Premier League football if he does end up joining Chelsea.
