According to Football.London Chelsea are reportedly closing in on Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli. It stated that the Blues have come to an agreement on personal terms and are finalising the last details to complete the deal involving a transfer fee worth £34m.
Koulibaly’s Impressive Campaign For Napoli Last Season
Koulibaly enjoyed a solid campaign at Naples last season after he produced a series of dominant performances on the defensive end of the field. The 31-year-old scored three goals and made three assists over 34 appearances for the Italian club last season across all competitions.
The France-born sensation performed well to average 1.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per 90 minutes in Serie A.
He was even accurate when distributing the ball to his teammates, after completing 86.9% of his attempted passes in the Italian first division (stats via whoscored).
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Brilliant Move From Chelsea Boss Thomas Tuchel?
Koulibaly is a defensive powerhouse who can make some hard tackles without hesitation. He doesn’t mind clearing his lines when the opposition is on the attack. The Senegalese defender can throw his body on the line to block inbound shots at goal. His strong frame, towering at 1.95m, helps him dominate his opponents in the air.
A centre-half of such calibre will undoubtedly enhance the quality of Tuchel’s defence. He could very well form a brilliant defensive partnership with Thiago Silva. This might be a warning for other top-tier Premier League clubs as the Blues could gear themselves for a title run.
At 31, he is still in his prime and shows no signs of holding back. He remains a force to be reckoned with and will have the motivation to show the Premier League attackers what he is made of.
The Senegal international could prove to be a brilliant addition considering Tuchel’s £200m revamp at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have easily met the demands of the Italian club and could finalise the deal in the coming week to see him feature in the pre-season matches.
