Chelsea have accomplished the €40m signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, with the Senegal centre-back penning a four-year deal contract at Stamford Bridge.
The 31-year-old turns into the primary of a variety of defensive reinforcements anticipated at Chelsea following the current departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on the finish of their respective contracts.
Though he had at all times been an choice, the London membership turned to the Napoli stalwart after precedence goal Matthijs de Ligt drifted out of their attain. Paradoxically, Juventus had needed Koulibaly to interchange Bayern Munich-bound De Ligt, however the notoriously robust negotiating Partonopei have been unwilling to do enterprise with their Serie A rivals.
That gave Chelsea the benefit, and the Blues have moved rapidly to wrap up a €40m (£34m) deal for the defender, who has signed a contract that can run till 2026.
Having handed a medical in London, Koulibaly was flown out to Los Vegas to hitch his new teammates on their pre-season tour and was unveiled as a Chelsea participant on Saturday.
“I’m very comfortable to be right here with this staff at Chelsea,” Koulibaly advised Chelsea’s web site. “It’s an enormous staff on the earth and my dream was at all times to play within the Premier League. Chelsea got here first to get me in 2016 however we didn’t make it. Now once they got here to me I accepted it as a result of they actually needed me to return to the Premier League to play for them.
“After I spoke to my good pals Edou [Edouard Mendy] and Jorginho they made my alternative simpler so I’m actually comfortable to be with you at the moment.‘I need to thank the followers as a result of I noticed numerous them in London and on the aircraft everyone was comfortable for me to be right here. So I need to thank them and I hope the season might be actually good and we’ll give some good moments to the followers.”
Chairman Todd Boehly added: “Kalidou Koulibaly is among the world’s elite defenders and we’re delighted to be welcoming him to Chelsea. An awesome chief and an exemplary staff participant, Kalidou brings a wealth of expertise and attributes that can profit our squad and the membership as a complete.”
Koulibaly had entered the ultimate 12 months of his contract in Naples having joined the membership method again in 2014. The Senegal worldwide has been linked with a transfer away on a number of events up to now, and it appears he has lastly determined the time is true.
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is eager so as to add an additional two new centre-backs to his squad this summer season, with captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s future additionally unsure. Nevertheless, a transfer for Nathan Ake is off the playing cards because it stands as the 2 golf equipment have been unable to agree on the construction of a £45m deal.
