Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly’s representative has already had conversations with Juventus over a possible Serie A return after just one season in England, according to reports.
Koulibaly was widely considered one of the best centre-backs in Italy during his spell at Napoli, so it took the opportunity to sign him last summer.
That said, Chelsea raised some eyebrows by offering the 31-year-old a four-year deal.
While Thiago Silva has proved that veteran defenders can still be reliable, he is arguably one of the few exceptions.
Koulibaly’s debut season in the Premier League is not exactly bad, but he has not lived up to expectations, either.
It is just that Chelsea seem to have better options ahead of him in the pecking order, and it makes little sense to keep one of the highest-earning players in the team as a backup.
In addition to the likes of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, who is currently on loan at Brighton, is expected to make Chelsea’s squad next season.
A summer exit could therefore be on the cards for Koulibaly.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Senegal international is considering a return to Serie A and his agent, Fali Ramadani, has already been in contact with Juventus.
Juventus, however, are said to be open only to a possible loan deal.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, there are unlikely many clubs willing to pay big for the former Napoli captain.
According to Sky Sports, Koulibaly earns £160,000-a-week at Chelsea, who paid £33million for him last summer.
The centre-back has made 22 appearances in the Premier League this season, 20 of which were as a starter.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
