Chelsea Transfer News: Gabriel Barbosa Blow, Latest Kalidou Koulibaly Rumours

Chelsea have suffered a major setback in their bid to sign Santos starlet Gabriel Barbosa, better known as Gabigol, as the agent of the Brazilian striker has confirmed his client wants to move to Juventus. Meanwhile, Napoli are determined to keep hold of Kalidou Koulibaly and still hope he'll sign a new deal.

Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror previously claimed Chelsea were confident they could seal a £25 million move for the Brazil international, who was said to be "interested in a move to England" after a strong spell with Santos.

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Juventus have been negotiating with both Santos and Gabigol for some time, however, and his agent, Wagner Ribeiro, has now told Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) the striker's mind is set, saying: "Gabigol wants Juventus."

Per the report, Santos have already accepted an offer from Juventus worth around €20 million (£16.9 million), but Gabigol's rights aren't exclusively owned by the club. The report also stated club president Modesto Roma has said the transfer will come down to the player's wishes, so a move to Turin seems very likely.

Here's a look at some of the top highlights of the 19-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best young forwards in the world:

Gabigol isn't expected to announce his decision shortly, as he's currently in Brazil preparing for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he's likely to start alongside Barcelona star Neymar.

Per Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror, the Blaugrana also still have a role to play in this saga, although their option won't mean much if Gabigol has already made up his mind:

If the youngster does decide to join Juventus, it will only add to what has already been a marvellous transfer window for the Bianconeri. The Serie A champions have already added a star forward in Gonzalo Higuain, as well as Miralem Pjanic, Marko Pjaca and several other players.

Gabigol may find it difficult to challenge Higuain and Paulo Dybala for playing time at first, but manager Massimiliano Allegri has a reputation for bringing his younger players along slowly, and in all likelihood, the versatile forward will be given a chance to start before long.

Elsewhere, Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol shared an update from Napoli regarding the ongoing Koulibaly saga, as the Partenopei once again repeated their stance the star defender is not for sale:

The message was likely a direct response to a rumour that surfaced on Wednesday, saying the Blues had launched a £38 million offer, per Sky Italy (h/t SkySports.com).

Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) previously reported the 25-year-old was moving closer to signing an extension, while his agent, Bruno Satin, told Radio CRC (h/t MailOnline's Simon Jones) Koulibaly wants to leave the club.

Here's a look at the player Chelsea are reportedly bidding for:

The Senegalese was one of the top breakout performers in Serie A last season, impressing with his raw athleticism and physical strength. He also improved his concentration and technique, and while he didn't stand out for his passing, his pure defensive skills made him an instant transfer target.

Napoli have only just lost Higuain to Juventus, however, and will want to avoid losing a second star during the summer.

The sale of Higuain means Napoli have no financial need to sell, and president Aurelio De Laurentiis will not budge easily, per La Repubblica (via Sport Witness' Tom Coast):

"

Well, it seems that La Repubblica are reporting that Chelsea have made the move we’ve all been expecting them to make, with an offer of €45m (£37.8m) ending up on Napoli’s transfer desk (or whichever desk they end up on).

However, it seems Aurelio De Laurentiis is going to be his normal stubborn self as the Italian newspaper say he’s built a wall around the defender and wants him to renew.

"

The newspaper added that Napoli are looking at Torino's Nikola Maksimovic as an alternative, offering some hope a move could be on the cards, but in all likelihood, Chelsea will have to pay well over market value for Koulibaly to tempt De Laurentiis.