Blues in for Senegal defender, Conte threatens
CHELSEA are understood to have made a renewed bid for Kalidou Koulibaly, the Napoli defender, after their advances were first rebuffed almost a year ago.
Senegal international Koulibaly, who joined the Serie A club from Belgian side Genk in 2014, is the subject of a £53-million bid from the Premier League champions, according to a report from Tuttomercatoweb, who added that Napoli are ready to play hardball.
However, Koulibaly’s agent reportedly told Mondo Napoli that his player “might” be moving ahead of the start of the season, while adding that Antonio Conte’s team were a “world class” outfit.
“Koulibaly? The transfer market is long as it will be open until August 31, something might happen before then,” the agent said.
“Chelsea? They are a world-class team that many players would like to join but I don’t want to talk about this now.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has stalled contract negotiations with the club with concerns over wages.
The Belgium international who is currently paid £100 000 a week and has two years left on his contract, is understood to be holding out for more cash.
However, all the talk of Koulibaly and Courtois will pale into insignificance if manager Conte is no longer at Stamford Bridge come the start of next season.
That’s right, the Italian who turned the club round from a sorry bunch of also-rans into an almost unstoppable title-winning team could be leaving Chelsea after just one season in charge.
Publications in both Britain and back home in Italy — home for Conte, that is — have reported that there is “tension between coach and club”.
The Gazzetta dello Sport is saying that Conte wants increased financial backing from owner Roman Abramovich, while he is also demanding a “direct line” to the Russian oligarch. Whatever that means.
On the other side of London, Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has made a £17.6-million bid for Juan Cuadrado, the Juventus midfielder.
The Colombia international and former Chelsea player, incidentally, signed a new three-year deal with the Serie A club just last month so we are not too sure about the probity of the report in The Sun that is claiming this to be the truth.
Another player to be linked with Arsenal is Simon Kjaer, the Denmark international and Fenerbahce defender. According to reports, Wenger is ready to bid £10.5-million for the player, though with him being 28 years old this would appear to be yet another piece of transfer gossip to take with a large dose of salty circumspection.
On Merseyside, meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is looking to raise about £60-million from the sales of defender Mamadou Sakho (£30-million), fullback Alberto Moreno (£12-million) and forward Lazar Markovic (£20-million), said a report in The Times. — ©