Chelsea bid £58million to try and sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, the Italian club's chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis has claimed.
Antonio Conte was on the lookout for a new central defender after being appointed as Blues boss in April, but was left frustrated in his attempts to try and lure Koulibaly to Stamford Bridge - which resulted in Chelsea looking elsewhere and eventually re-signing David Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain on transfer deadline day.
Koulibaly went on to sign a new deal at Napoli, which ties him to the Serie A side until 2021, but De Laurentiis has claimed that the 25-year-old could yet be sold next year.
"They offered to me £30, 35, 40, 45, 50 [million]," De Laurentiis told Sky Sports News HQ. "Mr. Conte I said, '[The] marina is behind me, follow me', I offered him that. Last moment, two days before the closing of the market, I hear £58 [million] - something like that.
Chelsea's frustrating search for defensive reinforcements
"Koulibaly I need here to make the match. I need to play, so I need the players. Koulibaly, this year, will remain here. Next year we will speak about."
When then asked to confirm that Chelsea were the club that made the £58m offer, De Laurentiis said: "Yes. He will never say it is true because I know Antonio. Ciao Antonio."
