Kalidou Koulibaly suggested that it’s been ‘his dream’ to play in the Premier League following his €40m move from Napoli to Chelsea.
The 31-year-old Senegalese defender signed a four-year contract with the Blues earlier today, completing a move to the Premier League giants. His arrival is key for coach Thomas Tuchel, who has been desperate for defensive reinforcements following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen earlier this month.
Speaking after the completion of his move to Chelsea, Koulibaly commented on his happiness at the move, their initial interest in 2016 and his desire to impress in London.
“I’m very happy to be here with this team at Chelsea. It’s a big team in the world and my dream was always to play in the Premier League.
“Chelsea came first to get me in 2016 but we didn’t make it. Now when they came to me I accepted it because they really wanted me to come to the Premier League to play for them.
“When I spoke to my good friends Edou Mendy and Jorginho, they made my choice easier so I’m really happy to be with you today.
“I want to thank the fans because I saw a lot of them in London and on the plane everybody was happy for me to be here. So I want to thank them and I hope the season will be really good and we will give some good moments to the fans.”
Koulibaly spent eight years with Napoli from 2014 to 2022, where he proved himself to be one of the strongest defenders in Europe. During that time, he made 317 appearances across all competitions for the Partenopei, being a part of the team that won a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana.
The Premier League is the El Dorado of football moves. It is awash with money. So no surprise he wants to go there.