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Chelsea could consider making a move for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly in January. The Blues missed out on the signing of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde on transfer deadline day, according to Football London (via Sports Mole).
It is no surprise that Chelsea needed to bring in defensive reinforcements in the summer transfer window. The Blues allowed Kurt Zouma to leave Stamford Bridge to join West Ham United. Chelsea backed the sale assuming they would land Kounde. However, the deal did not materialize with Sevilla not keen to negotiate the transfer.
Chelsea could now use the January transfer window to land a top quality centre-back, with Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly one of their potential targets. The 30-year-old defender has been linked with a move to the Premier League for many years but has stayed put at Napoli.
However, according to the aforementioned source, the Serie A side could be open to selling their prized asset. Koulibaly's contract expires in two years time in 2023.
Since the departure of Kurt Zouma, Chelsea are short on defenders since Thomas Tuchel prefers to play a back-three. The European champions are counting on Trevor Chalobah to come good before they can sign a new defender in January.
Chelsea have managed to strengthened in other areas of the pitch
Despite not being able to sign a centre-back, Chelsea have otherwise had a fruitful summer transfer window.
The Blues managed to solve their striking problems by signing Romelu Lukaku from Serie A champions Inter Milan in a deal worth £97.5 million. The 28-year-old forward seems to have settled in nicely at Chelsea after scoring a goal against Arsenal on his debut.
Despite winning the Champions League last season, Chelsea needed a proven goalscorer up front. Timo Werner failed to adapt to life in England, netting just 12 goals in all competitions last season. Many consider Romelu Lukaku to be the final piece in Chelsea's jigsaw, with the Blues now one of the favorites to lift the Premier League title.
Apart from Lukaku, Chelsea also added some much-needed depth to their midfield by signing Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid. The Spain international arrives on an initial loan deal with an option to make the move permanent next summer.
Chelsea have made a decent start to their Premier League campaign by picking up 7 points from their opening 3 games.
Also Read: David James' column - Ranking the 5 greatest full-backs of all time
