Chelsea to meet £65m asking price for Serie A defender

Chelsea are reportedly prepared to match Napoli's £65m price tag in order to sign defender Kalidou Koulibaly at the end of the season.

The Senegal international has been linked with a Premier League move in recent years and it now appears that the Blues are prepared to make a serious attempt to acquire his signature.

According to Il Mattino, the Blues are keen on recruiting a new central defender in their ranks with the future of first-team duo Gary Cahill and David Luiz doubtful beyond the summer.

The Blues failed to offer a reasonable challenge in their title defence this term but the club's hierarchy are said to believe that the arrival of a top-class centre-back may change their fortunes.

Koulibaly has made 40 appearances in all competitions for Napoli this season and he most recently featured in the 1-0 win over Juventus where he scored a last-gasp winner.