Thomas Tuchel backs Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly to follow in the footsteps of Thiago Silva.
According to @DiMarzio (via Simon Phillips) [h/t Football. London], Chelsea are in talks with the agent of Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly ahead of a possible move this summer.
Koulibaly has been one of the best centre-backs in the Serie A for many years now but is yet to make the next big step in his career. At 31, it may be now or never for the Senegalese defender to make the move to an elite club as he may be a little too old very soon.
The Senegalese superstar joined Napoli from Genk in 2014 and has spent a solid eight seasons with the Serie A giants. However, it does look like his time in Serie A is coming to an end very soon especially with his contract expiring next summer.
This season, the 31-year-old has played 34 times for the Naples club last season scoring three goals and providing three assists across all competitions. His performances have been as solid as ever and despite his age, he shows no signs of slowing down.
It is no secret that Chelsea want to sign centre-backs this summer and Koulibaly is a player who offers them a lot of quality while also potentially being available for a bargain. He could be the Blues’ answer to replacing Antonio Rudiger and can play a similar role to the German.
Anyone who has seen the Senegal man play knows that he loved driving forward with the ball at his feet and it is something that Rudiger used to do to great success until last season. It could be one of the reasons Tuchel wants to sign the talented defender.
His age is something for the Blues to keep in mind though. At 31, Koulibaly is not going to get any younger and his performances are only going to dip in some time. Whilst he might be a great short-time fix, he’ll definitely not be the ideal solution in the long term.
Regardless, considering the situation Chelsea find themselves in, they cannot haggle on for too long. Koulibaly would be a great signing as it stands and that is all that matters.
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