The first comments spoken by Kalidou Koulibaly upon his £33.8 million transfer from Napoli to Chelsea
Kalidou Koulibaly claims that his £33.8 million move to Chelsea is the realization of a dream. Following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, the Blues have finally started to restock their backline with the addition of the Senegal international from Napoli on a four-year deal.
After adding Raheem Sterling earlier this week, the acquisition marks Chelsea's second of the summer. After the Blues and Premier League winners reached an agreement on a deal worth £45 million that might increase to £55 million, the former Man City star signed a five-year contract.
After an eight-year stint at Napoli, where he had previously been Jorginho's colleague, Koulibaly is moving to Stamford Bridge. During his time with the Serie A team, the defender made more than 300 appearances and rose to become one of the team's captains.
The 31-year-old, who led his country to AFCON victory alongside Edouard Mendy earlier in 2022, took a flight to London on Wednesday to finish up his medical. He has since joined his new teammates in the United States ahead of the preseason matchup against Club America in Las Vegas.
Koulibaly declared after joining Chelsea, "I'm really thrilled to be here with this team. It's a huge team globally, and I've always wanted to compete in the Premier League.
"Chelsea tried to buy me first in 2016, but we fell short. They genuinely wanted me to join the Premier League and play for them, so when they approached me, I agreed. I'm very glad to be with you today because when I spoke to my good friends Edou (Edouard Mendy) and Jorginho, they helped me make a decision.
When questioned about having more control over Chelsea's transfer policy this summer, Thomas Tuchel fessed up, "It's not my favorite thing to do and in the long run the focus needs to be on coaching since it is why I am here.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake took purchased the club in June, and since then, top figures crucial to the previously established transfer procedure have departed
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