Chelsea close to completing €40m deal to sign central defender: Reports

Chelsea are reportedly close to signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly for €40 million to strengthen their backline ahead of the upcoming season.

Koulibaly, who is in the final year of his current deal, has been at the heart of Napoli's defense for eight seasons. Since arriving from Belgian outfit Genk in the summer of 2014, he has helped the Serie A club lift two trophies.

As reported by Fabrice Hawkins, Chelsea are close to reaching an agreement with Napoli to sign Koulibaly for a fee in the region of €40 million. The report further stated that the Senegal international is expected to sign a three-year contract.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) sporting director Luis Campos was reportedly in touch with Napoli to discuss the centre-back's availability but a deal failed to materialize. Barcelona and Juventus were also linked with the player.

Earlier, Napoli had offered Koulibaly a €5 million-per-year contract but president Aurelio De Laurentiis was not keen on overpaying to keep the 31-year-old at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Overall, Koulibaly has featured in 317 matches for Napoli, registering 14 goals and eight assists in the process. During the 2021-22 season, he helped his team keep 13 clean sheets in 34 matches across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are reportedly keen to sign two defenders this summer as veteran Thiago Silva is expected to be phased out of the starting lineup next season.

According to The Telegraph, the west London club are also monitoring the situation of Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt, Manchester City's Nathan Ake, Sevilla's Jules Kounde, and Paris Saint-Germain's Presnel Kimpembe.

The Blues are also in pursuit of Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard (via Sky Sports), Atletico Madrid's Jose Maria Gimenez (via Tenfield) and Torino's Gleison Bremer (via 90min).

William Gallas delivers verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo's potential move to Chelsea

Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has claimed that Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is not a good fit for the Blues.

Speaking on Genting Casino, Gallas opined about the developing transfer saga involving the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. He said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a world-class player and everybody knows that he wants to play Champions League football. I don't think he would suit Chelsea. Cristiano and Thomas Tuchel should have a good conversation because if the club really wants to sign him then they will have to speak about everything."

Ronaldo, who is currently on leave from Manchester United's pre-season tour, expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford earlier this month.