Following reinvigorated claims that Chelsea are after Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly to bolster their defence over the summer, Corriere dello Sport decided to get confirmation of the player’s intent for the upcoming transfer window.
The easiest way to do that, bar talking to the defender himself, was to contact his agent, who agreed to give them some information, even if it wasn’t exactly groundbreaking.
In an interview published on the Italian newspaper’s website, Bruno Satin was asked if his client would be going to Stamford Bridge alongside the likes of Maurizio Sarri and Elseid Hysaj.
His answer: “I don’t know anything and I also don’t know if Chelsea will qualify for the Champions League or not. It’s important to know how the club ends the season because important players want to play in the Champions League”.
Confirming that Napoli had received offers for his client in the past, including from Chelsea, Satin seemed far less certain than previous years about the centre-back’s future.
Whether that’s got to do with Koulibaly’s desire to find a new challenge remains to be seen, but he hinted it might also have to do with Maurizio Sarri’s decision to stay on or not.
The manager has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent months to replace Antonio Conte, and should he take over, that would be a big advantage for Chelsea in their attempts to bring in the 26-year-old defender.
