The Blues, who are in the final stages of signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and are rumoured to be in advanced negotiations with Manchester City for Nathan Ake, have identified Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe as their next defensive target, reports The Athletic.
26-year-old Kimpembe, who broke into the PSG senior team in 2016, has a contract until 2024 with the Parisian club – and a market valuation of 40 million euros according to Transfermarkt.
The Frenchman has had prior experience playing under the current Chelsea head manager Thomas Tuchel, with the German leading the Blues’ charge into the transfer market this season alongside co-owner and interim sporting director Todd Boehly.
However, while reports say that PSG will be open to sanctioning a move for their academy graduate this summer – as they continue their pursuit of Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar, Chelsea could face competition from Juventus for Kimpembe, who themselves could be on the hunt for a new defender with Matthijs de Ligt closing in on a transfer to Bayern Munich.
Moreover, should Chelsea succeed in their pursuit of all of their defensive targets, they could lose one of their own to interest from elsewhere. A move for the Frenchman could spell the end of Levi Colwill’s first-team dream. The academy graduate who impressed on loan at Huddersfield Town last season is reportedly evaluating his future at the club.
Colwill, 19, who was deemed by many Blues faithful as the next academy graduate to make the jump to the first team, is evaluating his options and is likely to leave the club permanently this summer in search of a senior position elsewhere – as per Fabrizio Romano.
The central defender spent the last season in Championship with a Huddersfield side that was a win away from the Premier League. As per multiple sources, he has been linked with a plethora of clubs, including Arsenal, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace.
