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Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, and Timo Werner has now given his opinion on the move.
The Blues lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers to Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, this summer. Since then, the London outfit have been linked with a number of names to fill that void.
The Blues took their first step in that direction by completing the signing of the Senegalese star for a fee close to £33m.
According to Werner, this was a necessary signing given the defensive exodus in the past few weeks. The Chelsea striker told Sky Sports:
“I think he’s a brilliant defender. He will give us the strength at the back we need after a lot of players left us in defence. A very good signing for the club. From what I saw when I played against him, he brings exactly what we need.”
Cesar Azpilicueta is another name linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. Thomas Tuchel already deploys a system that makes use of three centre-backs instead of two, as was the case under Frank Lampard.
Such a formation demands added strength in the defensive department. While Chelsea would have wanted to build on what they had this summer, they have instead ended up losing some key players.
Chelsea rekindle Jules Kounde interest after Nathan Ake setback
Just signing Koulibaly would not be enough for the Blues to mount a serious challenge for trophies next season. In that regard, the Blues are seemingly on the lookout for more additions.
Manchester City's Nathan Ake has been a name strongly linked with a return to Stamford Bridge but that deal now looks dead in the water. The defender is set to stay at the Etihad after the two clubs failed to agree on a transfer fee.
According to the Evening Standard, this setback has nudged the west London outfit in the direction of Jules Kounde once again. The Sevilla defender was the centerpiece of a long-drawn transfer saga last summer.
However, Thomas Tuchel failed to get his man as Los Rojiblancos stood firm on their valuation. It appears Chelsea want to try their hand at signing the French centre-back yet again.
Kounde, 23, has enjoyed more minutes at club level compared to Ake in recent seasons and is one of Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui's most trusted starters. Age is also on Kounde's side as he can reach new heights under a manager such as Tuchel.
