Chelsea were prepared to spend £58m on Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer transfer window, according to the Italian side's president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
The 25-year-old was strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, but remained in Naples, where he signed a new long-term contract last month.
De Laurentiis has claimed that his club rejected a bid of close to £60m from Chelsea for the Senegal international, who is now contracted to the Serie A club until June 2021.
"They offered to me £30, 35, 40, 45, 50m," De Laurentiis told Sky Sports News. "Mr. [Antonio] Conte I said, '[The] marina is behind me, follow me', I offered him that. Last moment, two days before the closing of the market, I hear £58m - something like that."
Koulibaly, who joined Napoli from Genk in the summer of 2014, made 42 appearances for the Italian giants in all competitions last season.
