Chelsea are reportedly ready to abandon their pursuit of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and will instead target Lazio centre-back Stefan de Vrij.
That’s according to Neil Moxley of the Sunday People (h/t the Daily Mirror), who noted the Blues’ efforts to sign Koulibaly have “stalled” due to Napoli’s £45 million valuation. De Vrij is said to be available for around £15 million, and Chelsea are reportedly ready to “press ahead quickly” to get the 24-year-old on board.
The centre of defence is an area of the team new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will need to address, especially after the frailties that were so frequently on display last term.