Chelsea open ‘serious talks’ to sign £39m defender ahead of Newcastle

Chelsea have opened negotiations to sign Werder Bremen defender Karim Coulibaly ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports in Germany.

Coulibaly, 18, began training with Bremen’s first-team with increasing regularity in pre-season and made his senior debut as a late substitute in the side’s defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt last August.

Since then, Coulibaly has gone from strength to strength to establish himself as something of a mainstay – when fit – at heart of Bremen’s defence, starting a total of 20 matches across the club’s Bundesliga campaign.

It’s proven an immensely challenging season for Bremen, who are languishing down in 17th and find themselves at serious risk of dropping down into the German second tier.

But Coulibaly has been one of the few shining lights under current head coach Daniel Thioune – and his predecessor Horst Steffen – and Bremen have grown increasingly resigned to losing their prized possession in the summer, whether or not they manage to avoid relegation.

According to German publication Bild, Coulibaly’s impending departure for bigger and better things is ‘practically a done deal’, with ‘half of Europe’ sniffing around and seeking information on the centre-back.

However, it’s claimed only four clubs have expressed ‘concrete interest’ at this stage, namely Chelsea, Newcastle, Napoli and Marseille.

Both Chelsea and Newcastle are said to have held ‘serious talks’ regarding a possible agreement for Coulibaly, while Napoli and Marseille are seen as ‘top contenders’ in the race for the highly rated teenager.

But though all four sides would have no problem meeting Bremen’s €45million (£39m) asking price to land Coulibaly, there are yet to be any formal offers for the Germany Under-19 international.

The report adds that an unnamed Premier League club were in attendance to watch over Coulibaly during Bremen’s 1-0 win at Wolfsburg at the weekend, in which the youngster came on as a second-half substitute.

It marked Coulibaly’s first appearance back for Bremen after three-match spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury he sustained in the side’s 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

Paris Saint-Germain have made enquiries about Coulibaly’s potential availability in the past, but the Champions League holders have not followed up on their initial interest.

Asked about the mounting speculation surrounding Coulibaly earlier this week, Bremen’s sporting director Clemens Fritz told DeichStube: ‘This interest is not a surprise.

‘We’re talking about a left-footed centre-back, 18 years old, already an undisputed starter in the Bundesliga.

‘He draws attention. He’s very composed, focused, and determined – exactly what we need right now.’

Coulibaly’s current contract with Bremen runs through to June 2029.

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