Rafa Benitez reveals two major concerns over new Chelsea signing Kalidou Koulibaly

Former Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez believes Kalidou Koulibaly could struggle to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League following his move from Napoli.

The 31-year-old has spent eight years in Serie A, carving out a reputation as one of the most dominant central defenders in world football, but believes the time is now right to test himself in England.

Chelsea have been desperate for central defensive reinforcements following the high-profile departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

Koulibaly is likely to replace new Real Madrid signing Rudiger at the heart of Tuchel’s defensive unit, but Benitez, who managed the player at Napoli, fears the Senegal international’s adaptation process is unlikely to be a smooth one.

He told The Athletic: ‘He must improve his concentration at times.

‘He can be guilty of losing focus and can be overconfident, but he has been hugely influential at Napoli and people I know and trust have told me that he has been the best centre-back in Italy during this time.

‘This season will be the Premier League for him and he could be fine for the way that Tuchel wants to play. He has similarities with Rudiger — he is very good at running with the ball, he’s good with both feet.

‘Is he a little bit too nice? We will see what happens at Chelsea. As I said, in Italy he was fine because he was so quick, but I doubt he will be so dominant over here.

‘Aerial ability wasn’t his biggest strength but in Italy that mattered a bit less and he was ok.

‘It will be interesting to see how that develops in the Premier League but he was always very keen to learn. He spent time with me and my staff after training sessions to work on his heading and improving his technique.’

Koulibaly will at least