Chelsea have offered Napoli central defender Kalidou Koulibaly a contract worth £8.5m per year to sign for the club ahead of a potential move this summer, according to a report.
The 30-year-old has long been linked with a move away from Naples in recent years, but rumoured moves to some of Europe's top sides have failed to take place.
However, that could change this summer, with the Senegal international entering the final 12 months of his contract with Napoli this summer, with no extension being agreed so far.
As a result, the defender could leave the Serie A outfit on a free transfer in June 2023, leading to speculation that Napoli would look to accept a sale during the current transfer window.
With Chelsea losing both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers this summer, and Cesar Azpilicueta's future still up in the air, Thomas Tuchel has been linked with a number of central defenders across Europe to bolster his defence ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
One such target is said to be Koulibaly, and Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting that the Premier League outfit have offered the defender a deal worth around £165,000 a week to make the move to Stamford Bridge - a significant increase on his current contract, which is worth around £100,000 a week.
However, the report outlines how the Blues must first meet Napoli's valuation of the player, believed to be around £34m, whilst also competing with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain for his signature this summer.
Chelsea have been linked with several defenders in recent weeks, including the likes of Sevilla's Jules Kounde and RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol.
Matthew Tranter
