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Napoli president reveals why he rejected Chelsea's €55m Koulibaly bid

Antonio Conte looked to sign the Senegalese defender last year, but found his offer turned down as the Serie A side sought to keep their key player

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed why the club rejected a €55 million (£47m) bid from Chelsea for defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Senegal international joined Napoli from Belgian side Genk in 2014 for a fee of around £6.5m, but has seen his asking price increase dramatically after a string of impressive performance under manager Maurizio Sarri.

Koulibaly's form had attracted the attentions of Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, but Napoli were unwilling to sell the 25-year-old to the Premier League club without first having adequate replacements at the back.