Chelsea are content with waiting until the summer to get one of their top targets.
The Blues remain keen on Napoli's in-demand defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who they tried to sign in the summer window, but a January move is not on the cards.
According to The Sun, Chelsea will not go about signing the Senegal defender next month because of his presence in the African Cup Of Nations. With the likes of John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic seemingly not fitting into Antonio Conte's 3-4-3 system, Chelsea would need the defender to come in immediately as opposed to joining up with the team after the tournament.
They would not want to splash out what would likely be a £50m fee for a player who would not be available for selection straight away, but they remain interested in a summer move for one of the most highly-rated defenders in Europe.
Advert
A source in Italy reportedly told The Sun:
"It is impossible for Koulibaly to go to Chelsea in January because of the African Cup of Nations.
"He is happy at Napoli, wants to stay there and likes it in Serie A. He won't be sold until June.
Advert
John Terry is widely expected to leave the club in the summer and Koulibaly, 25, could be the ideal replacement.
He won't come on the cheap though. Napoli paid around £6.5m to secure his services but his growth as a player means they will not budge unless Chelsea cough up a considerable fee for their top talent.
Featured Image Credit: