Despite Kalidou Koulibaly’s recent comments about his future at Chelsea, it’s clear his first season at Stamford Bridge isn’t going to plan.
The Senegal international has struggled under both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter to find the dominating form he was known for in Serie A, and that has led to talk of an early return to Italy.
Inter are the ones eyeing him up, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim the centre-back is being looked at to replace Milan Skriniar, expected to leave on a free at the end of the season.
Rumours already in January when the possibility of the Slovakian leaving six months early arose, but with him staying, they quickly disappeared.
However, a month or so later, the reality of his exit is hitting Inter, and that’s why they need to find a replacement.
Gazzetta start off with Koulibaly, explaining that he is ‘experiencing a season with too many ups and downs’, and while his wages of £10m a year are far too expensive for the Italians, but if Chelsea were to pay for some of them, a bit like they are doing for Romelu Lukaku, ‘then the deal could really go ahead’.
A lot will depend on how the Blues finish the season, because if they don’t qualify for the Champions League and Inter do, then that would be an extra bonus in their arsenal of arguments.
That’s when the player could ‘make an important decision for the continuation of his career’, because he has made it clear in the past he wouldn’t play for any other team in Italy except his beloved Napoli.
Still, he wouldn’t be the first to break such a promise, and that’s why the idea of bringing Koulibaly from Chelsea is ‘still topical’ in Viale della Liberazione.
