Here is everything you need to know on Chelsea’s pursuit of Kalidou Koulibaly as the Blues inch closer to making a £34 million blockbuster movie.
Kalidou Koulibaly, a long-time defensive target for Chelsea, is now set to be acquired after several years of trying to sign the Napoli defender.
For the past eight years, Koulibaly has been a cornerstone in the defense for Naples, yet there have been previous summer transfer windows when he has almost departed Serie A.
Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner of Napoli, has always insisted on a hefty transfer fee for the Africa Cup of Nations champion. But with only one year left on his agreement, it appears that his current team should cash in on a player who hasn’t been interested in signing a new contract in some time.
According to football.london, Chelsea, and Napoli are close to agreeing on a £34 million deal that will see the Senegalese international sign a lucrative long-term contract in west London.
Koulibaly’s possible transfer to Chelsea has received Fabrizio Romano’s famous “here we go!” seal of approval.
According to the transfer guru’s report, Napoli accepted the Blues’ offer, and a full agreement is now in place for a €40 million (£33.8 million) transaction. It will then be official, according to reports that the Italian powerhouses are currently validating the required paperwork. The defender is expected to sign a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge for a salary of €10 million ($8.46 million) net.
‘Done deal’
According to Football Italia, Koulibaly is preparing not to join up with Napoli’s pre-season training camp as originally planned due to the fast progress that has been made on Tuesday regarding his move to Chelsea.
The player himself reportedly hopes that his Blues transfer is completed and becomes a ‘done deal’ by Wednesday.
Personal terms agreed
The defender’s move to Chelsea is fast approaching with it being understood that a deal could be fully agreed upon in the coming hours.
A £34million move is currently in the works and it is understood that owner Aurelio De Laurentiis isn’t to stand in the way of their number 26 this time around with his manager and other senior figures in Naples already wishing him well ahead of his imminent move to Stamford Bridge.
The full structure of the deal needs to be agreed still but personal terms seem to not have been an issue at all. Italian transfer guru Alfredo Pedulla of Sport Italia has reported that the 31-year-old has accepted the five-year contract proposal worth around £7.6million-£8.4million per year (around £630,000 per month and £180,000 a week).
Barcelona threat
It wouldn’t be a transfer window without the financially restricted Barcelona wanting to try and ruin Chelsea’s plans yet again.
Xavi has already seemingly managed to steal Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha under the grips of Todd Boehly and despite the focus being on Jules Kounde for the Catalan giants, it seems as if though they want to try and inflict triple misery on the current World Champions this summer.
This is because Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Barcelona has told the player’s agent that he would rather them wait to see if they can pull off an ambitious transfer swoop themselves at the expense of Chelsea.
Unlike the Dembele and Raphinha situations though, it doesn’t seem likely that Joan Laporta will be able to intervene at this advanced stage.
Edouard Mendy delivers Kalidou Koulibaly and Ake Chelsea transfer verdict as £79m swoop close
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has admitted that he is ‘happy’ with the potential Nathan Ake and Kalidou Koulibaly acquisitions which would see the club move on from the Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger setbacks.
“We were happy with Toni and with Christensen but I think we are more than happy with the defenders who will arrive,” he told The Times.
The pair’s relationship with their country has always been strong and this has been showcased on many occasions in recent times including when the 31-year-old came to the defense of the former Rennes goalkeeper when Gianluca Donnarumma was picked ahead of him as the world’s top goalkeeper by FIFA.
Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly drops Chelsea transfer bombshell as £34m deal ‘very close’
Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly believes his move to Chelsea is “on the right track” as a £34million deal is ‘very close.’
News that now looks to have been confirmed by the player himself, who says that his long-awaited exit from Italy is now approaching.
“I’ll confirm that later, but it’s on the right track,” he said on Italian radio as Journalist Romain Collet-Gaudin reported.
Senior Napoli figure hints at £34m Kalidou Koulibaly Chelsea transfer being a ‘done deal’
Will Kalidou Koulibaly become Chelsea’s second or third summer signing of this transfer window under Todd Boehly?
Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe is being mentioned as the third player that Tuchel reportedly wants in this new defensive rebuild but whether new manager Christophe Galtier leaves this summer remains to be seen as the Parisians chase down Milan Skriniar themselves.
But in the meantime, all eyes from a Chelsea focus will be on when a potential transfer agreement for Koulibaly can be fully reached and the announcement date to follow. Raheem Sterling is expected to be the first signing confirmed of the Boehly era but whether Koulibaly or Ake is to become the second or third ones remains to be seen.
A senior Napoli figure though has hinted that their 26 could be the second Chelsea summer signing with his telling Instagram post (via Napoli_Report) amid all the Blues noise.
Napoli’s Storekeeper Tommy Star has posted what looks to be a goodbye on his Instagram story. It’s a picture that shows him embracing the AFCON winner.
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