Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea: Blues plot £60m record deal to trump Napoli contract offer

Wanted man: Kalidou Koulibaly
MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images
Simon Johnson18 August 2016

Chelsea are having to consider paying up to £60m for Kalidou Koulibaly because that is the size of the release clause Napoli are trying to include in their new contract offer.

As Standard Sport revealed last week, Napoli have made a late attempt to persuade Koulibaly to agree a deal in the hope he will stay for at least another 12 months.

The Serie A club concede they face a struggle to convince the 25-year-old to sign it, especially as he has set his sights on a move to Stamford Bridge.

But they hope that including the clause, as well as a verbal agreement that they will sell in 2017 if a big offer comes in, will be the best compromise for both parties.

Napoli had previously valued him at £50m and thought a £10m increase would scare Chelsea off.

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But Chelsea are desperate to sign the Senegal international before the transfer window closes at the end of the month and are thinking about meeting the £60m asking price now.

That would be a new club record for Chelsea, beating the £50m they paid Liverpool for Fernando Torres in 2011.

Coach Antonio Conte wants to improve his defensive options. Captain John Terry is not going to be picked for every game, Kurt Zouma is returning from a serious knee injury, while Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic suffered a drop in form last term.

Napoli have consistently proven to be tough negotiators in recent seasons and their stance paid off last month when Juventus spent £75.3m on striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Should Napoli sell Koulibaly to Chelsea for £60m, it will be a remarkable profit given they bought him from Genk for just £7m in 2014.

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