Earlier Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez believes Kalidou Koulibaly could struggle to adapt to the rigors of the Premier League following his move from Napoli.
The 31-year-old has spent eight years in Serie A and has built a reputation as one of the most dominant central defenders in world football, but believes the time is now right to test himself in England.
Chelsea are desperate to strengthen the central defense after the striking departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Koulibaly will likely replace new ones Real Madrid Rudiger at the heart of Tuchel’s defensive squad, but Benitez, who led the player at Napoli, fears the Senegal international’s adjustment process is unlikely to go smoothly.
He told the athletic: ‘He needs to improve his concentration every now and then.
“He can be guilty of losing focus and can be overconfident, but he has been a huge influence at Napoli and people I know and trust have told me he has been Italy’s best central defender during this time. .
This season will be the Premier League for him and he could be good for the way Tuchel wants to play. He has similarities with Rudiger – he can run very well with the ball, he is good with both feet.
‘Is he a little too nice? We’ll see what happens at Chelsea. As I said, in Italy he was fine because he was so fast, but I doubt he will be as dominant here.
“Aeriality was not his greatest strength, but in Italy it mattered a little less and he was okay.
“It will be interesting to see how that develops in the Premier League, but he was always very eager to learn. After training, he spent time with me and my staff working on his course and improving his technique.’
In any case, Koulibaly will benefit from the presence of two familiar faces at Stamford Bridge in former Napoli team-mate Jorginho and his compatriot Edouard Mendy, both of whom he consulted before joining his new club.
“When I spoke to my good friends Edou and Jorginho, they made my choice easier, so I am very happy to be with you today,” he said.
“I want to thank the fans because I saw a lot of them in London and on the plane everyone was happy that I was here.
“So I want to thank them and I hope the season will be really good and we will give the fans some good moments.”
LAKE : Chelsea complete the signing of highly regarded Arsenal youngster Omari Hutchinson
LAKE : Kalidou Koulibaly sends farewell message to Napoli fans ahead of Chelsea transfer
For more stories like this, check our sports page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news about
facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
