The signing of Kalidou Koulibaly is an amazing one. The song is called "1:00." The Blues were under pressure to strengthen their defence after losing two centre-backs to free agency. They have signed one of the best defenders in the business with the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly. A 40m transfer fee for a 31-year-old in the final year of his contract may seem a bit excessive. Koulibaly is hardly a "Moneyball" signing from a pure transfer market perspective, as he was given a four-year deal with an option to extend until the end of the 27th century. He is the type of player who can help the club contend for the title again and he was made as intelligent a choice as their fans could have hoped for. When asked what his weak points were, a chief scout from the Italian league said, "What weak points?" It's hard to find any. He's one of the best at his job. The mental side of his game is getting better and better as well. - DONE DEALS: All the latest big transfers
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Even though there are occasional slip-ups that can be expected when playing in a position in which any error is usually exposed, there are few flaws in the game of the player. With centre-backs always being in the thick of the action defensively, the odd misjudgement comes with the territory. Even though he gives the impression of being in control, when he goes in for a challenge, he does so with conviction.
There are games on the 12th and 27th.
Minutes: 2,406 (5th)
Touches: 1,966,391 (5th)
Recoveries: 167 (5th)
Pass Completion: 86.9% (10th)
Tackle %: 44.2% (4th)
Duel %: 59.5% (4th)
Aerial Duel %: 55.2% (6th)
*Correct as of July 20, 2022
The authority he brings to the pitch is one of the most striking aspects of the game. The concept of "presence" can be ambiguous and controversial to some. When it comes to both style and confidence, the defender has rare qualities. He plays with his head up, is calm in possession, dominates his opponents and plays with a certain "aura", which is not usually used by modern-day defenders.
Taking to the pitch with such an air of quality doesn't mean that you won't make mistakes, even as a result of what some might consider an over- confident playing style.
The new centre-back still shows an aggressive style of defending even though he is calm in possession. He likes to deal with danger early, often breaking out of the defense to win the ball high up the pitch. He doesn't have to rely on a teammate to get him out of trouble.
| Player | Team | Gm | Tckl | Aerials | Blks | Int | Clr | Tckl% | Duel% | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K. Koulibaly | Napoli | 27 | 39 | 87 | 25 | 29 | 84 | 44% | 60% | 167 |
| J. Matip | Liverpool | 31 | 47 | 160 | 14 | 44 | 90 | 59% | 68% | 185 |
| V. van Dijk | Liverpool | 34 | 16 | 151 | 14 | 31 | 107 | 48% | 74% | 204 |
| A. Rudiger | Chelsea | 34 | 48 | 76 | 11 | 28 | 87 | 47% | 60% | 183 |
| T. Silva | Chelsea | 32 | 32 | 89 | 31 | 44 | 95 | 49% | 65% | 214 |
| R. Dias | Man City | 29 | 26 | 87 | 13 | 23 | 65 | 58% | 53% | 108 |
| A. Laporte | Man City | 33 | 33 | 84 | 10 | 20 | 61 | 39% | 63% | 182 |
Statistics can be misleading due to the different playing styles and task specifications of the players. His numbers show that he's behind some of the best players in the world, but he's also behind some of the best players in the world. It's a good company to have.
During his eight years at Napoli, he showed a year-on-year improvement in his tactical skills. His regular status was never under threat during that time, but he gradually matured. Having first arrived as a defender who was rather coy with the ball, he waved goodbye to the passionate San Paolo fans as one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in Serie A.
Despite being used as a left-sided centre-back in a back four at Napoli, the elegant defender should have no issues slotting in at the Blues. Though the club lost a world-class defender in Rudiger, they have quickly found a world-class replacement.
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