Napoli pres threatens to sue Chelsea over Koulibaly row

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is upset with Chelsea's protracted pursuit of defender Kalidou Koulibaly, claiming he may opt for legal action because the club lost millions in merchandising revenue.

With the Senegalese international conceding last week that he's likely to leave the Serie A side in the summer despite still having three years on his deal, De Laurentiis has pointed the finger at Chelsea.

"I had thought Koulibaly was a good man," Di Laurentiis told Corriere dello Sport, according to ESPN FC's Mark Rodden.

Di Laurentiis added, "Napoli were about to sign new commercial deals to use Koulibaly's image, but his statements cancelled those opportunities. His jersey cannot be sold now."

De Laurentiis' complaints stem from missed opportunities to profit from Koulibaly's likeness ahead of the 2016-17 season, as the robust defender appears poised to exit during the summer transfer window.

"He created damages worth millions of euros, and I have specialists studying the issue now. ... If we discovered that Chelsea were behind this, we could sue them for damages too."

Regardless of De Laurentiis' desires and threats, the angular 24-year-old centre-back seems to have one foot out the door at the Stadio San Paolo.

"If nothing happens with Napoli, I'm going to start making contact with other clubs," Koulibaly said, according to L'Equipe.

"I'm going to make the most favourable choice, not only financially but also on a sporting level - clubs of a high standing want me, and I've had no sign from Napoli."