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New Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly has been handed a four-year deal because the club sees him as the next Thiago Silva.

The Blues hope to add two more top defenders in the shape of Sevilla Frenchman Jules Kounde and PSG star Presnel Kimpembe this week. But it was 31-year-old colossus Koulibaly, introduced pre-match, who excited fans at the Las Vegas Allegiant stadium here in Nevada on Saturday night.

The 31-year-old colossus has been handed a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge. He watched from the sidelines here as his new team eased to a 2-1 win over Club America. The length of his contract runs counter to the normal policy at Chelsea for players over 30. But Tuchel believes Koulibaly will match 37-year-old Silva in providing leadership, organization and quality deep into his thirties.

“It’s nice that he takes the challenge right now,” said the Blues boss. “And we have Thiago Silva, who is even older and super-experienced and still at the peak of his game. We hope Koulibaly can do the same and play for many years for us.

“He is totally fit and ready for the challenge and he needs to be because we need him in top shape.”

Silva was deemed surplus to requirements when