Koulibaly: What Chelsea are gaining, what Napoli are losing

Kalidou Koulibaly may not have been Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice pick in central defence but the Blues are getting one of Europe’s finest players in his position.

The Senegal international completed a move to the two-time European champions last week, ending eight years with Napoli. At times, it looked like the defender’s time in Naples will not come to an end, despite yearly transfer rumours.

Often linked with a switch away in the mid-to-late 2010s, Koulibaly remained with the Azzurri largely due to Aurelio De Laurentiis’ uncompromising nature. The Napoli chairman drives a hard bargain and never wavered in his belief that the Teranga Lion commanded a hefty transfer fee.

Chelsea, the club Koulibaly would eventually join in 2022, realised De Laurentiis’ intransigence in 2016 when Antonio Conte attempted to bring the centre-back to the club in his first campaign at Stamford Bridge.

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Six years after that deal never materialised, the Blues have their long-term target, albeit under a different manager whose primary target, it is believed, was Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt who looks to be Bayern Munich bound.

“Chelsea came first to get me in 2016 but we didn’t make it,” the 31-year-old stated after completing his £34 million switch. “Now when they came to me I accepted it because they really wanted me to come to the Premier League to play for them.

“I’m very happy to be here with this team at Chelsea. It’s a big team in the world and my dream was always to play in the Premier League.”

He may have to wait six years but the Senegal captain is fulfilling that long-awaited ambition, to Napoli’s undoubted detriment.

K2 is departing the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium when the club looks shorn of its stalwarts from the 2010s. Former skipper Lorenzo Insigne’s departure for Toronto FC was revealed in January while Dries Mertens was not handed a renewal despite being the club’s record scorer in Serie A.

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The worst eventuality for Luciano Spalletti was losing his top centre-back whom he is fond of and extolled at every opportunity in the preceding campaign. Last summer, the former Roma boss dramatically stated how he would go to extreme lengths to keep Koulibaly at the club.

“To keep [Koulibaly] here I will chain myself somewhere,” Spalletti told a press conference 12 months ago. “Find me something I can chain myself to - and I will hold onto Koulibaly so that he doesn't leave.”

The pair’s relationship blossomed and Koulibaly looked back to his best as Napoli returned to the Champions League after a two-year absence. Napoli even flirted with Serie A contention before their challenge fizzled out in the New Year.

Their Senegalese stalwart played in 27 top-flight games; a number that would have been higher had injury not ruled him out in December before a successful Africa Cup of Nations with the Lions of Teranga at the start of 2022 meant the Partenopei were without their best defender for two months.

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Spalletti’s men lost three of their final four games of 2021 in Koulibaly’s absence, with only one victory secured in the five Serie A matches (three defeats) following the top-class defender's lay-off.

The Senegal defender fell in love with Naples but now has a new home after eight years. Chelsea hope to be beneficiaries of the 31-year-old’s ability as they look to challenge champions Manchester City and last year’s Champions League runners-up, Liverpool.

Despite lingering doubts about the length of Koulibaly’s contract, the centre-back’s experience and know-how suggest Tuchel’s team have acquired a player capable of playing in multiple roles in their back three.

Antonio Rudiger’s departure has left a hole on the left side of the West London club’s backline that the second arrival of the summer could fill.

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The German’s aggressive ball-carrying proclivities are comparable to Koulibaly and the latter’s tendency to get stuck in — his 2.25 tackles per 90 outdid Rudiger (1.57), Thiago Silva (1.22) and Andreas Christensen (1.08) last term — means he is theoretically a capable replacement for the 28-year-old who joined Real Madrid this summer.

The African champion’s organisational ability and skill in possession make him a capable stand-in for Silva in the centre of Tuchel’s back three — a position he was likely to fill in 2016 before the club opted for David Luiz — especially with Christensen no longer at the club.

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Perhaps more importantly is Koulibaly’s adeptness in a back four, a quality that could aid the club’s transition to utilising two central defenders occasionally and sticking to a back three.

“[Koulibaly] brings experience, top defending quality, height, and everything we are looking for to play in a back-three or a back-four,” Tuchel asserted after the Senegal star joined the club.

“It's another brilliant signing for us, and we hope Kalidou can show his quality as soon as possible.”

With Cesar Azpilicueta’s Chelsea future uncertain, Koulibaly’s experience at the back could be doubly pivotal if another senior defender and club captain leaves before next month’s deadline.

It has been a long time coming but K2 is now a Blue. Play anywhere near his Napoli best and Chelsea supporters would be in awe of the new wall safeguarding Stamford Bridge.