Former Chelsea striker Pat Nevin has hailed the former club’s new defender Kalidou Koulibaly as playing as strong as Antonio Rudiger.
There have been concerns from fans following the loss of a key defender, particularly in the case of Rudiger, who have played a part in the club’s success over the past few years.
The ufabet club have signed Koulibaly for £34million, but there are doubts as to how well the 31-year-old will do and whether he will make up for the lack of German defence.
But after an impressive first-leg display in the 1-0 win over Everton, Nevin hailed Koulibaly as unbeaten as Rudiger.
“Chelsea fans are worried about losing Antonio Rudiger, did they get Rudiger Marktouma? different players But Kalidou Koulibaly’s tackle was brilliant.”
Koulibaly, who joined the west London outfit from Napoli for £34 million earlier last month, played 75 minutes against Everton, Before coming off with a cramp, he was part of a three-man defence alongside captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (via The Chelsea Chronicle), Nevin compared the Senegalese with former Blues centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer. He said:
Apart from Koulibaly, two other new signings also made their Premier League debuts for Chelsea – Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella. Conor Gallagher, who impressed on loan at Crystal Palace last season, also made his debut for his boyhood club against Everton.
The Blues will next lock horns with city rivals Tottenham Hotspur in their second league game of the season on August 14.