Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Kalidou Koulibaly and Willy Caballero

Kalidou Koulibaly's agent has heaped praise on Premier League champions Chelsea amid reports his client will be allowed to leave Napoli this summer. Senegal centre-back Koulibaly has an agreement in place with the Serie A club allowing him to seek a transfer.

Italian source Premium Sport (h/t Metro's Ewan Roberts) detailed how "Napoli have a gentleman's agreement with Koulibaly that will allow him to leave if they receive a bid of €60 million (£52m)."

The defender's agent has talked up the quality in Chelsea's squad to Mondo Napoli (h/t Roberts): "Chelsea? They are a world class team that many players would like to join but I don't want to talk about this now."

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Those words are timely since the Blues have long been linked with Koulibaly.

Roberts also detailed how the west London club showed strong interest in the central defender last season: "Premier League champions Chelsea have frequently been linked with the commanding centre-back as Antonio Conte looks to improve his options at the back. The Italian manager is a huge fan of Koulibaly and tried to sign him last summer, though Napoli rebuffed Chelsea's approaches and they opted to re-sign David Luiz instead."

This isn't the first time Napoli have made positive noises about Koulibaly joining Chelsea. Last month, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis hinted a bid from the Blues would be welcome, per Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t George Boulton of the Sun).

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Whether the latest words are agent speak to try to tempt Chelsea to revisit an idea they had a year ago is unclear. However, it is clear the club wants to reinforce its back three.

Manager Antonio Conte has even been linked with a move for Juventus' ball-playing centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, per Calciomercato.com (h/t David Wright of the Daily Express). Bonucci is a talent, but Koulibaly is a cheaper alternative and a more aggressive player in the air.

In fact, Koulibaly's aerial dominance would likely be welcomed in a defensive trio also featuring converted full-back Cesar Azpilicueta. While Bonucci is outstanding with the ball at his feet, Conte already relies on Brazilian David Luiz to build attacks with his quality distribution from the back.

With skipper John Terry leaving the club, Chelsea's need for defensive reinforcements is obvious. If Conte is unable to tempt Bonucci away from the Italian top flight, Koulibaly would represent an excellent alternative.

Deal for Backup Goalkeeper Close

Conte may still be searching for a new centre-back, but he is reportedly close to landing a deputy goalkeeper to replace Asmir Begovic. The stopper in question is Willy Caballero, who will sign for Chelsea after being released by domestic rivals Manchester City, according to ESPN.co.uk.

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ESPN's report detailed the steps Chelsea have taken to make Caballero the replacement for new Bournemouth 'keeper Begovic and the No. 2 behind Thibaut Courtois: "Sources said Chelsea were in ongoing talks with Caballero, who rejected a one-year deal to stay at City and had also had offers both from England and clubs in La Liga."

Caballero is a smart pickup for the league champions as an experienced and dependable presence between the sticks. The former Malaga man is also a stopper who can be relied upon in big matches, evidenced by his heroics in the 2016 League Cup final, where Caballero made several saves in a penalty shootout to beat Liverpool.

Now 35, Caballero still represents excellent value on a free transfer, even if the Blues may also rue letting Begovic go. No team in England's top flight boasted a backup goalie as capable as the Bosnian.

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However, if Caballero arrives, he will ensure goalkeeper remains perhaps the strongest position in Chelsea's squad. Meanwhile, signing Koulibaly would make sure a back three that was shaky toward the end of the season won't be a fatal weakness in the Blues' title defence.