Chelsea could be set to lose out on the signing of Senegal centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has made Koulibaly a top target and the Blues are willing to offer him €60,000 a week to sign from Napoli.
However, a transfer fee must first be agreed with Napoli and it seems that Chelsea could have a serious rival in this department.
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La Gazzetta claim that Everton are prepared to offer €45m for Koulibaly.
A deal of that size would see the Toffees smash their current transfer record, which belongs to the deal which saw Romelu Lukaku sign from Chelsea in July 2014.
Lukaku cost £25m according to the Liverpool Echo, while Sky Sports claim £28m was spent on the Belgian frontman.
Either way, €45m would make Koulibaly a record-breaker. Using current exchange rates, that figure works out at around £38.4m.
Defence is an area in which Chelsea and Everton both need to strengthen, having conceding 53 and 55 Premier League goals respectively last season – more than the likes of Crystal Palace, Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City.
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