Chelsea are understood to have made a renewed bid for Kalidou Koulibaly, the Napoli defender, after their advances were first rebuffed almost a year ago.

Senegal international Koulibaly, who joined the Serie A club from Belgian side Genk in 2014, is the subject of a £53 million bid from the Premier League champions, according to a report from Tuttomercatoweb, who added that Napoli are ready to play hardball.

However, Koulibaly's agent reportedly told Mondo Napoli that his player 'might' be moving this summer while adding that Antonio Conte's team were a 'world-class' outfit.

"Koulibaly? The transfer market is long as it will be open until August 31, something might happen before then," the agent said.

"Chelsea? They are a world-class team that many players would like to join but I don't want to talk about this now."

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Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has stalled contract negotiations with the club with concerns over wages. The Belgium international who is currently paid £100,000 a week and has two years left on his contract, is understand to be holding out more more cash.

However, all the talk of Koulibaly and Courtois ​will pale into insignificance if manager Conte is no longer at Stamford Bridge come the start of next season. That's right, the Italian who turned the club round from a sorry bunch of also-rans into an almost unstoppable title-winning team could be leaving Chelsea after just one season in charge.

Publications in both Britain and back home in Italy – home for Conte, that is – have reported that there is 'tension between coach and club'.

The Gazzetta dello Sport is saying that Conte want increased financial backing from owner Roman Abramovich while he is also demanding a 'direct line' to the Russian oligarch. Whatever that means.

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On the other side of London, Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has made a £17.6m bid for Juan Cuadrado, the Juventus midfielder.

The Colombia international and former Chelsea player, incidentally, signed a new three-year deal with the Serie A club just last month so we are not too sure about the probity of the report in the Sun that is claiming this to be the truth. But then are we ever?

Another player to be linked with Arsenal today is Simon Kjaer, the Denmark international and Fenerbahce defender. According to reports Wenger is ready to bid £10.5m for the player, though with him being 28-years-old this would appear to be yet another piece of transfer gossip to take with a large dose of salty circumspection.

On Merseyside, meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is looking to raise around £60m from the sales of defender Mamadou Sakho (£30m), full-back Alberto Moreno (£12m) and forward Lazar Markovic (£20m), according to a report in the Times.

Kids today, eh!

Gianluigi Donnarumma, the 18-year-old AC Milan goalkeeper, has reportedly rejected an offer of £80,000 a week to remain at San Siro with the seven-time European Cup winners.

Crossing the divide

Remarkable news from north of the border where Rangers are ready to sign a player from bitter rivals Celtic. The Ibrox club are poised to sign Aidan McAdams, the under-19 goalkeeper, from Parkhead which, if it happens, will be the first ever direct transfer between the clubs.

Hairway to heaven

Joe Ledley, the Wales international, may be without a club after he was released by Crystal Palace at the end of the season, but he is at least celebrating a new head of hair after undergoing surgery for a hair transplant. All the 30-year-old needs now is to find a new club with which he can lay down some new roots. Yes, even we are cringing.