Chelsea have officially announced the arrival of Kalidou Koulibaly, who is joining on a permanent deal from Napoli.
The statement details how the 31-year-old Senegalese defender has signed a four-year contract with the Blues, tying him to the club until 2026. Koulibaly is a much needed defensive reinforcement for Thomas Tuchel, who lost both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger earlier this month, and expectations are high in the Premier League for the centre back.
Koulibaly spent eight years with Napoli, arriving in 2014, and he consistently proved himself to be one of the best defenders in Italy, and possibly the world, during his stay in the Campania capital.
It’s expected that Koulibaly’s move to Chelsea will see Napoli earn around €40m total.
During his time with the Partenopei, the Senegalese centre back made 317 appearances across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists. He was a part of the team that won a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana, and he also played a key role for Senegal in their Africa Cup of Nations win earlier this year.
Good to see that he used his head wisely. With Chelsea adding some quality this summer, maybe he has a chance of winning something. That was never going to be the case if he ruined his career with PhD Max. Going from Napoli to Chelsea is an ambitious step up, one he should have taken years ago. If he went to Juve, it is a step down or no step at all as they are not winning nothing.
Premere leage is not easy