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Chelsea are interested in three Napoli players who could leave the club in a planned fire sale, according to reports. The Blues apparently have their eyes on Hirving Lozano, Dries Mertens and Kalidou Koulibaly, who could all be available for less than their market values.
Mexican international Lozano joined Napoli from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2019 after impressing during his two-year stay with the Dutch side; Lozano scored 40 goals from 79 appearances for PSV. While he has failed to replicate that same form in the Serie A, he still has qualities that could endear him to Frank Lampard at Chelsea.
The Blues are also interested in Mertens, who, like Lozano, made a move from PSV to Napoli but in June 2013. The Belgian has built a legacy for himself at the Stadio San Paolo, finding the back of the net 128 times in 332 games for the Serie A side. Having played over 600 games as a professional, his experience could be enticing for a relatively young Chelsea side.
And then, there’s Koulibaly, who is among the few premium defenders in the world at the moment. The chance to sign the Senegalese could be too good to turn down for Lampard, as he strives to find the perfect central defensive pair at Stamford Bridge. However, it might be easier said than done.
Chelsea hoping to take advantage of Napoli’s financial turmoil
Like most clubs around the world, Napoli have also been financially hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Serie A side’s problems are far greater than that of most other clubs. The Napoli players apparently have not been paid their salaries for the last four months, as the club has struggled to get their books sorted.
To ease the pressure, Napoli could be tempted to let go of quite a few of their first-team stars, and Chelsea are hoping that they could make hay while the sun shines.
While moves for Mertens and Lozano might not pose too many complications, acquiring Koulibaly might be tougher. The Senegalese continues to be on the radars of many clubs around Europe, including Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United. Understandably, Chelsea might have to engage in a bidding war to secure his services.
However, if the Blues do manage to secure all three players, there’s no doubt that the Chelsea squad will be balanced enough to battle for silverware.
