Chelsea transfer news: Kalidou Koulibaly still Antonio Conte’s top target as Blues boss prepares to make £48million bid
Napoli ace wanted at Stamford Bridge but move complicated as replacement Nikola Maksimovic goes on strike at Torino
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CHELSEA are determined to land Kalidou Koulibaly before the end of the month and will offer Napoli £48million for his signature, according to reports.
Antonio Conte is facing a crisis at the back, with just four senior defenders at his disposal as Kurt Zouma works towards a return from injury.
A new centre-back is his top priority after completing deals for striker Michy Batshuayi and midfielder N’Golo Kante, with Koulibaly the Italian’s preferred choice.
The Senegalese ace is wanted alongside Everton forward Romelu Lukaku and Brazilian Thiago Maia, and Chelsea have already failed with a £42m bid.
But Italian news outlet claims the Blues will return with an improved offer of £48m in an attempt to finally land their man.
However, Napoli want to keep Koulibaly for at least one more year after finding their attempts to sign a replacement in Nikola Maksimovic blocked by Torino.
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The Serbian failed to report for training last Friday, instead flying home after insisting he’d agreed to move to Naples, and Torino boss Sinisa Mihajlovic is fuming.
The former AC Milan chief told : “I don’t know whether Maksimovic is making these mistakes by himself or whether he is just ill-advised, but I don’t care either way. He will pay the consequences for this behaviour because he has damaged our club.
“He has a short memory – I was the one who launched his international career and just a few weeks ago I spoke to him frankly, from one Serbian to another.
"I guaranteed him an improved contract and favourable conditions in view of a future move.
“I told him that if he stuck with me this year, he would be wanted by the biggest clubs in Europe next year. He assured me that he was delighted to stay. I put my head on the line for him and now he just disappears and wants to leave.
“I feel like a betrayed man. For me, they are men before they are footballers but he has betrayed everybody – the club, his teammates, the fans and the coach.
"Now the ball is in the club’s court because Maksimovic has a contract here and he cannot decide his destiny alone.
“If he is to stay then he has to know that he needs to win back everybody’s faith twice: first as a man, then as a footballer.”