Chelsea have identified the £43m “silky” star as a key target, with talks now open
Chelsea are pushing to sign Werder Bremen star Karim Coulibaly, and the German club’s price tag has now been revealed.
The Blues were determined to bring in a new midfielder throughout the summer transfer window, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix had been identified as their first target.
However, despite holding talks, the west Londoners are yet to get a deal for Lacroix over the line, with Barcelona’s Jules Kounde tipped as a possible alternative, with Coulibaly emerging as a top target.
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Football FanCast verdict |
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Honesty |
Chelsea are keen to bring in experienced players this summer, targeting Rayo Vallecano star Pep Chavarria and Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka. However, BlueCo have built a reputation for signing young talents, so the interest in Coulibaly is not surprising, especially since they are very keen to sign a midfielder, as shown by the interest in Lacroix. |
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Finance |
The 19-year-old is valued at €40m – €50m (£34m – £43m) by the German club, which would be an expensive fee for such a young player. |
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Understanding |
Despite his age, the youngster is already in the Werder Bremen first team, making 27 appearances in the Bundesliga last season. Functionally, he can play at center back, left back and in central defense. |
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Impact |
The youngster could be a replacement for Trevoh Chalobah, who the Blues are willing to sell, amid interest from Fulham. However, Lacroix should probably remain a target, as the Palace star has already proven himself in the Premier League. |
Chelsea identify Karim Coulibaly as their first target
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are now in talks to sign Coulibaly, who could be worth between €40m – €50m (£34m – £43m), having identified the young defender as their number one target.
The Blues are looking to get a deal over the line, with new manager Xabi Alonso keen to bolster his options at the back.
Why Maxence Lacroix might have the edge over Karim Coulibaly
Chelsea clearly need to improve their options at centre-back if they are to start challenging for top honors again, when their defensive weaknesses were exposed in the Champions League round of 16 exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, losing 8-2 on aggregate.
However, Lacroix would be a more suitable option than Coulibaly. First and foremost, the Palace defender may be in his prime at the age of 26, while he has already proven himself in the Premier League, making 70 appearances in the past two seasons.
The Bremen star, on the other hand, made a total of just 27 appearances, although he got 2,122 minutes of game time in the Bundesliga last season, which may have benefited his growth.
However, the French international with five caps averaged 7.3 clearances and 1.3 interceptions and 1.7 tackles per 90 in the Premier League last season, compared to figures of 4.5, 1.1 and 1.1 from Koulibaly in the Bundesliga, showing that Lacroix is the better player at the moment.
Fabrizio Romano shares an update on Chelsea’s talks to sign Pep Chavarria
He wants to move to Stamford Bridge.
