New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to keep hold of Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

Has Koulibaly impressed for Chelsea?

The Senegalese made the move to the Blues last year, arriving from Napoli with a big reputation and signing a deal that sees him earn a whopping £295,000 per week currently.

While Koulibaly was expected by many to be a dominant addition to Chelsea's back-line, his first season in west London was a struggle, as he failed to replicate his performances on show in Naples. He only started 20 of his side's 38 Premier League games, too, with injury problems not helping matters.

The 31-year-old's current Blues deal runs until the summer of 2026, but there have been some suggestions that he could move on when Pochettino officially take charge next month, with the Argentine potentially not seeing him as a part of his future plans.

That prediction looks unlikely to come to fruition, however, following a new update regarding the situation.

What does the future hold for Koulibaly?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Koulibaly is someone who Pochettino want to retain at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer:

"I think Pochettino would prefer him to stay, and I think that the club's stance is that they looked at this guy for a long time, they invested in it and they were confident they'd made a really good transfer and the first year hasn't gone brilliantly."

Koulibaly clearly struggled at Chelsea last season, but it should be remembered that he was playing in a hugely below-par team that got through three managers, and was still trying to adapt to the pace of the Premier League at the same time. Graham Potter still hailed his "leadership", showing that he did contribute positively at times.

But, he was slammed on a number of occasions, with one instance seeing him called "bang average" by Jamie O'Hara after his displays earlier on in the current campaign.

Granted, more was certainly expected of the centre-back, considering he arrived as arguably one of the best players in Europe in his position, but next season should be a fairer gauge to judge him. At 31, he admittedly doesn't represent the future at Stamford Bridge, but there is still enough life in him at the top level to suggest that he could thrive under Pochettino.

That's assuming Koulibaly wants to stay put, of course, and if he decides he wants a new challenge and a swift exit from Chelsea, the key will be to receive as much money as possible for him this summer, before signing a younger replacement at the heart of the defence.