Kalidou Koulibaly ignores extreme transfer plea as Chelsea plot dream summer window

Chelsea have been handed a major boost in the race to sign Kalidou Koulibaly in the upcoming transfer window. The 30-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge after it emerged that his agent Fali Ramadani offered his services to Thomas Tuchel's side, according to Area Napoli, as quoted by Sport Witness.

The centre-half, who sees his contract with the Italian side expire at the end of next season, featured 27 times for Napoli in the Serie A this season, steering Gli Azzurri towards a title charge. His impressive displays have seen Luciano Spalletti's side relish the second-best defensive record in the league behind only AC Milan, who won their first Scudetto in eleven years.

Though, despite the flurry of interest in Koulibaly, the prospect of a switch looked to be off the cards. Amid the speculation regarding the Senegal international's future, Spalletti made his feelings clear regarding a potential exit, and insisted that he would chain himself to the gates if his defender was sold.

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Speaking in a press conference after Napoli's final game of the season, Spalletti told Football Italia: "Koulibaly in my view is not for sale, just like last season when I threatened to chain myself to the gates if he was sold. I’m doing it again!

"This is a player always open to giving a helping hand, knows where to intervene and how to raise the level, he does what is needed. We want to have another important season, so he cannot be sold.

"People say you can get a younger player, but you can’t buy a leader, who developed here over so many years, who lives and breathes the city and gives that passion back on the pitch.