"I think it is a good signing and I really like him" - Agbonlahor gives his views on Chelsea reportedly completing the signing of 31-year-old star

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has expressed his admiration for Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and believes that will be a good addition for Chelsea.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the Blues are close to reaching an agreement with Napoli for Koulibaly. Ornstein added that they are also working on agreeing personal terms with the 31-year-old ahead of a move this summer.

Koulibaly's potential arrival would represent a major reinforcement for Thomas Tuchel's men. The Premier League giants have lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers this summer and are in dire need of central defenders.

Agbonlahor, who played 341 times for Aston Villa over the course of his career, believes Koulibaly will be a solid signing for the Blues. However, he also had reservations about the rumored price of £35 million. The 35-year-old said on talkSPORT:

"I think it's a good signing and I really like him. But I feel like £35 million for a 31-year-old, you know ... But maybe that's today's market [and] you have to pay that sort of money. Great signing for Chelsea and £35 million must just be the going rate."

Agbonlahor went on to add:

"They needed to replace Rudiger. I just feel like Rudiger's strength, physicality, pace - they needed to definitely get him [Koulibaly] in. Thiago Silva [is a] great defender, but to lose Rudiger, to lose Christensen - Chelsea needed more cover."

Rudiger notably joined Real Madrid after five years at Chelsea, where he made 202 appearances across all competitions. Christensen, who also arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2017, moved to Barcelona after playing 160 times in all competitions for the Blues.

Both defenders were instrumental in the Blues winning their second UEFA Champions League trophy in 2021.

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Chelsea target Kalidou Koulibaly has been excellent for Napoli

Koulibaly has long been linked with a move away from Napoli, having joined the club all the way back in 2014. Having served them diligently for eight years, he now looks set to depart the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

In his near-decade tenure in Naples, the Senegalese has made 317 appearances for the Italian club, scoring 14 goals and laying out eight assists. Koulibaly has lifted the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup during his time with the Serie A giants.

He has also made 62 appearances for Senegal and captained the squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year and qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.