Chelsea can replace Koulibaly with Skriniar

Following the scores of reports preceding the looking January transfer window, there is a clear onus on defensive reinforcements at Chelsea…

In an ideal world, Chelsea boss Graham Potter would secure the signing of Josko Gvardiol, one of the most desired names in world football at present, and be on his merry way with the 20-year-old colossus for years to come.

The seismic transfer tag – €100m (£85m) – however, could prove to be a spanner in the works and as such the Blues have shifted attention to alternative targets, with Milan Skriniar one of the latest high-profile names to enter the rumour mill. 

According to CalcioMercato, Potter is looking to close in on a transfer and secure the player’s services, with a new contract with Inter Milan failing to materialise. 

And now the Premier League could soon be blessed with another stellar defensive addition, a ball-playing titan who could lift the Blues back towards the eminent standing that the devout fanbase demands.

Bye-bye Koulibaly

Following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger in the summer, Chelsea responded with the acquisition of Wesley Fofana from Leicester City for an initial £70m and Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £33m.

The former has been beset with injury issues, but the latter has failed to transfer his excellent performances in Italy to Stamford Bridge with any real regularity, and now Chelsea’s former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach is looking to instil defensive authority sooner rather than later.

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Whether Koulibaly would be ousted from the club following the arrival of the likes of Skriniar remains to be seen, but it would add a sheen of pedigree that could go a long way for a prestigious club currently languishing below expectations in seventh place.

Certainly, though, if Koulibaly’s start to life in London is anything to go by, someone of the £91k-per-week Skriniar’s ilk could signal the end to his short stay in the starting XI.

The Inter centre-back has made 236 appearances for his prominent outfit, scoring 11 goals and winning the Serie A and Coppa Italia, and he could certainly bring his level of excellence to Potter’s team with emphatic effect.

As per FBref, the 27-year-old ranks within the top 3% of centre-backs throughout Europe’s major leagues for pass completion over the last year, with Rudiger coincidentally his sixth most compatible positional peer.

The “monster“, as hailed by journalist Siavoush Fallahi, would be an exemplary signing for Christopher Vivell, someone in the mould of Potter’s pass-centred philosophy, someone who could finally provide the cohesion and stability the club has been lacking.