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Chelsea should stop playing Napoli’s game regarding Kalidou Koulibaly

By André Carlisle

Kalidou Koulibaly during the Italian Serie A football match A.S. Roma vs S.S.C. Napoli at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, on april 25, 2016 (Photo by Silvia Lore/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Kalidou Koulibaly during the Italian Serie A football match A.S. Roma vs S.S.C. Napoli at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, on april 25, 2016 (Photo by Silvia Lore/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /
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Chelsea have once again been linked with a bid for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly. The Blues should stop playing around and buy the defender they need.

‘Koulibaly’ must translate to ‘Stones’ in French. Another hot summer day, another “MIND-BOGGLING” sum offered by Chelsea in a bid to fix its back line.

"Chelsea have made an improved £43m bid to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Il Messaggero.The West London club reportedly had a £23m offer rejected for the 25-year-old earlier in the summer, and have now made an improved bid in their quest to sign one of their main summer targets. – via The Telegraph"

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The bids come every three-to-four days like clockwork, but it’s the second sentence that is by far the most frustrating/revealing/hilarious. The Blues began its pursuit of the big Senegalese Frenchman early in the summer with a £23 million offer. An official* transcript of the negotiations reads as follows:

"Hello. This is Chelsea FC. We are interested in Kalidou Koulibaly, your most important defender in a season strong enough for a 2nd place finish. Here is £23million.-No.We here at Chelsea FC understand it is difficult to part with such a talent. Please, accept our empathy along with this £25-million offer.-No.Apologies, where are our manners. We’ve been too forward. Please, name your price.-£30 million.Done! Pleasure doing busine--£40 million.Pardon? But you just said thirty mill--£50 million.Sir, please. Let’s be reasonable. Here is £38million.-No.£40million?-No.£42million?-No.FINE. £43million. Please sir, I beg of you, consider this offer seriously.-*Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis begins training his 17 cats to lay in a formation spelling out ‘NO’*"

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While supporters await the receipt of that emailed .JPG reply, it may be worthwhile for Chelsea to start sniffing around for a backup. Everton’s playing of hardball with the Blues (and their own player) resulted in the (real) Blues beginning their title defense with a glaring hole that was ripped from all sides over the course of the season.

Backup plans are good in life, especially when desperation compromises leverage. Chelsea had to sign a starting caliber center-back last season, now it’s an absolute and unequivocal must. Negotiations have reflected this awful negotiating position, but this is a game the club not only have to play, but must also win.

Someone is going to get many barrels full of Roman Abramovich’s money if Chelsea are going to get the center-back they need. The only negotiating tactic left is to make it a matter of ‘Who?’ The Blues should start rolling barrels of cash in between Arsenal and Shkodran Mustafi and around Juventus for Leonardo Bonucci. While they’re at it, they might as well dust off those Raphael Varane rumors too.

Entrusting another vital season to the whims of erratic and unreasonable ownership isn’t an option. Chelsea need to make another center-back appear at Stamford Bridge and the only way is to create urgency within the market. Koulibaly would be a fantastic addition, but come September 1, as long as it isn’t another Papy Djilobodji, any new name will do.

*unofficial

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