Chelsea Transfer News: Kalidou Koulibaly Comments on Future, Napoli Exit Rumours

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly has revealed he’s willing to speak with Chelsea’s incoming head coach Antonio Conte about a possible move to the club if his current employers do not offer him a new deal.

Koulibaly enjoyed a fine 2015-16 season, becoming a key pillar in the Partenopei securing a UEFA Champions League spot for next term and challenging eventual champions Juventus for long spells. But the Senegal international has admitted his future could be elsewhere, per L’Equipe (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express).

“I was happy to sign a five-year contract with them—I did very good things this season and there are proposals on the table,” he said of Napoli’s offer. “Big clubs want to sign me and there is no sign of a renewal with Napoli. The negotiations for a contract extension have stalled and they never wanted to discuss with us.”

When asked specifically about Chelsea and Conte, the 24-year-old admitted it’s an option he’d consider. “No, I have not talked to him [Conte] but that may be soon,” said Koulibaly. “If nothing happens at Napoli, I will start to have contact with other clubs.”

The defender’s contract at the Stadio San Paolo runs until 2019, and you suspect Napoli will be keen to keep him on board. Here is a look back at some of Koulibaly’s best moments from the previous season:

There is a lot to like about Koulibaly, who has smoothed down some of the rougher edges in his game lately. He’s a forceful presence in the middle of any defence, never shirking a physical battle and happy to engage with forwards due to his pace and power.

Additionally, his distribution is an underrated aspect of his game. Koulibaly isn’t a player to take reckless chances on the ball, but his passing is sharp and decisive, meaning we rarely witnessed Napoli launching the ball long to Gonzalo Higuain last term.

CARLO HERMANN/Getty Images

As these numbers from WhoScored.com illustrate, when it comes to winning the ball back in defensive areas, there weren’t many players better than the Napoli man in 2015-16:

Those attributes will appeal to Conte, who will want to forge a defensive structure akin to the one that brought him so much success at Juventus. Additionally, with John Terry ageing, Branislav Ivanovic more comfortable at right-back and Kurt Zouma still a little raw, there’s no doubting a new central defender is needed.

Koulibaly does still need to work on some areas despite his progression. In terms of discipline, he could fare much better, as he picked up 11 yellow cards in Serie A alone in the last campaign. His positional play is something that could also be sharpened under the tutelage of a coach like Conte.

Claudio Villa/Getty Images

As noted by HLN’s Kristof Terreur, with Cesar Azpilicueta likely to operate at left-back, there could be issues with balance at the back if Koulibaly was to join:

The player seems content with life at Napoli, with the quotes aforementioned more of a “come and offer me a new deal” cry than a “come and get me” plea to other clubs. Should Napoli—a team that’ll be challenging for the league title next season and in the Champions League—oblige, then the Senegalese will likely remain as part of this exciting side.

For Chelsea, Koulibaly would be a fine addition and a player that would potentially thrive in English football should he join. But with Conte yet to take over in a official capacity, there’s a chance the club could miss the boat on this one.