Why Kalidou Koulibaly and Chelsea are a match made in heaven
Some transfers never live up to the hype they receive via the media and fans before finally materializing. The rumour mill can sometimes be the most exciting aspect of a transfer as football clubs make plans to bolster their squads, season after season, by contacting some of the biggest stars on the planet.
The incessant interest in Kalidou Koulibaly is one such pursuit of Chelsea’s that has been discussed ad nauseum for some time now. The Blues were interested in signing the Senegalese defender from Napoli back in 2016, only to have a £51m bid rejected by the Italian powerhouse.
While Antonio Conte managed to lure David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge, Koulibaly – destined to become one of the most dominant defensive forces in Italy – was temporarily put on the back burner. Four managers have since taken over the helm, and finally, the West Londoners have got their man.
Koulibaly has landed in London for his medicals at the time of writing, and as they say, ‘when the time is right, it’s just right.’ What failed to have materialize over the course of five years, appears to have been signed, sealed, and delivered in the space of the past 15 days.
Indeed, the first point of contact between Chelsea and Koulibaly’s entourage was made on June 28, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. The deal was agreed, as confirmed earlier on July 13, equating to around £33m including add-ons. As reported by Dynes Sports, he will fetch weekly wages worth £175,000.
It’s almost poetic that Chelsea finally overcame Napoli’s resolve under Todd Boehly, given how fast the new owner orchestrated negotiations. There are several reasons why Chelsea had interest in signing the defender. It could be Tuchel’s love for data in choosing his players, or just the availability in the market for a man with one year left on his contract.
But Koulibaly was meant to be Chelsea-bound. For a long, long time.
It takes experience to be part of Chelsea’s glorious defense
As Koulibaly sets out to become the latest defender in Chelsea’s famous folklore of legendary centre-halves, it’s worth noting that this football club wins titles on the back of experienced rear guards.
William Gallas during Jose Mourinho’s first stint as Chelsea boss was a locker room leader for the team; John Terry remained a peerless emblem for what it takes to die fighting for the badge. And finally, Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and Thiago Silva happen to be the latest of those marshals that didn’t just prevent attacks, but were galvanizing factors – dressing room morale, training ground ethos and discipline – that evoke a winning culture. No prizes for guessing, any player that has been part of Cobham will tell you about how fierce the mentality is within those hallowed walls.
Deeply adored by the Napoli faithful, Koulibaly wore the armband for over a year following the departure of Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne. He’s one of those players that multiplies his efficiency on the pitch when leading from the front.
At the moment it would seem as though Chelsea’s midfield and forward players need a voice to propel them to consistent performances. He’s got that voice and then some, which should help his new squad to maintain clean sheets.
Age is just a number at Chelsea. Terry won the Premier League in 2016-17, bidding farewell to his boyhood club with the most prized accolade in English football. And what better example than Thiago Silva himself, winning the Champions League for the first time in his trophy-laden career.
At 31, Koulibaly adds experience with 474 senior club appearances and 62 caps for Senegal. It’s obvious there’s a subdued effect on their performances when the senior players leave the Chelsea dressing room. And perhaps, he’s the man to fill the huge void left by Antonio Rudiger’s exit to Real Madrid.
Koulibaly is simply Tuchel’s ideal candidate
There are plenty of reasons to believe why Koulibaly is bound to be Tuchel’s on field commander-in-chief.
Boasting a pass completion rate of 87.9% last season on average, Koulibaly is a state-of-the-art ball-playing centre-back. He absolutely loves to unlock the opposition’s defensive lines with a switch, and what’s best is that he can hit both diagonals of the pitch with aplomb.
As a defender, he’s simply got it all. 95 successful aerial wins, impeccable ground duel abilities and a whopping 72 tackles for Napoli last season exemplify his dexterity.
But what makes him one of the best in Europe?
Koulibaly is technically gifted on and off the ball, as he progresses like a central midfielder at times and is often found fine-tuning his tackles to perfection. A whopping 90% dribble success rate speaks volumes about the player’s capacity to weave through pressure.
For a manager obsessed with defensive details and quick transitions in play, his ability to launch attacks from the back will aid Chelsea in buying possession.
The most important part of his game is the fearlessness, which only grows through experience. He’s a master of breaking the opponents and their approaches high up the pitch.
Alongside Liverpool and Manchester City, Chelsea may just have the highest average position of their back line. Koulibaly would then fit in like a duck to water as this system allows him to make challenges and uproot his counterpart’s attacks.
The Senegal international plays with enviable confidence and is arguably the most accurate with his decision-making across the continent. For someone so sturdy, it’s almost beguiling to watch him redefine the mastery of defending.
The combination of Koulibaly’s skill and Tuchel’s tactics could amount to a perfect partnership, as no player seems to resonate with the manager’s defensive ideologies like Koulibaly.
When adaptability meets flexibility
Thomas Tuchel’s love for versatile players is no secret in football circles. He deployed Marquinhos in a completely different, attacking role at Paris Saint-Germain, while his practices with midfielders and wingers playing right wing-back at Chelsea are well-known; albeit to the frustration of many analysts.
It’s in the nature of the coach. The German mastermind’s Borussia Dortmund featured in-and-out, interchangeable number eights that complemented the wingers, whereas his PSG side possessed the personnel and the heavy touch to embarrass defences.
Tuchel’s Chelsea squad is completely different however. They attack through counter-pressure and reversing positions in the channels. The wing-backs stretch the opponent, whilst there’s no target man – it’s all mobility and link-up down the firing line.
All in all, he’s a tactically flexible coach who isn’t afraid to tinker with his line-ups between competitions, matches, or even halves.
Koulibaly’s arrival empowers this aspect of Tuchel’s tactics. He would now be able to switch it up from a back three to a four, thereby adding the possibility of more forays down the centre.
He can play as a left-back (as featured for Napoli) or a left centre-back in a three. For someone who does not shy to lunge in when they’re without the foiling of a full-back, it would fill Tuchel with assurance.
Much can be made of the variety of systems Chelsea will be able to unleash tactically, but hardly any of them wouldn’t have Koulibaly at the forefront of their design.
A committed professional, who has been highly coveted by Chelsea over the years will ultimately take guard alongside the likes of Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta. His presence on and off the field will be immeasurable for the club’s defenders that want to represent the famous royal blue in the future.
It would take something truly extraordinary for something to go south in this partnership, however Chelsea fans can be excused for being a tad gunshy after the disastrous Lukaku deal. However, at least on paper, it would appear as though Koulibaly and Chelsea are a match made in heaven.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Jeanpierrekepseu. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.