Barcelona are set to gatecrash Chelsea’s pursuit of Kalidou Koulibaly, 26, and have made the Napoli central defender their main defensive target, according to talkSPORT.
Linked earlier in the summer with a move to Everton as part of Ronald Koeman’s remodelling of the Toffees, the giant Senegalese centre-back has been a long-time target of Chelsea having been targeted by Antonio Conte when he first took over at Stamford Bridge in 2016.
The Blues came close to sealing a deal at £62m then so the suggestion of a fee lower than that seems fanciful, particularly with Napoli’s record of extracting high fees when they sell key players.
Barcelona, currently leading La Liga, are determined to strengthen their defence next summer, with concerns about Gerard Pique’s future at the club.
The Catalans are pondering a move for Koulibaly this January although any hint of availability is likely to send Roman Abramovich reaching for the chequebook to keep his unsettled Italian manager happy.
One of Antonio Conte’s biggest sources of unhappiness is reported to be the club’s failure to land his top targets, often watching them sign for other clubs as Chelsea seem frozen out of the picture.
Napoli are believed to be reluctant to sell this winter, especially as they currently top Serie A.
