Kalidou Koulibaly has officially left Chelsea after just one season, with the Senegalese defender singing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
Koulibaly arrived from Napoli last summer amid much fanfare as he was seen as a perfect replacement for German defender Antonio Rudiger, who had joined Real Madrid.
He made his debut away at Everton and endeared himself to the Blues fans after marking his first home game with a fantastic volley against Tottenham Hotspur. He also scored his second Chelsea goal in a London derby away to Fulham.
However, these contributions were not enough to pass him as a success at Stanford Bridge. He made 32 appearances for the Blues during his sole campaign at Stamford Bridge.
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With Chelsea working on cutting down their bloated squad this summer under Mauricio Pochettino, the Senegal international has become one of the casualties.
He has joined Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal for an undisclosed fee and now becomes the second Chelsea player to move to the Middle East this summer after N’Golo Kante’s move to Al-Ititihad.
In a statement confirming the defender’s exit, Chelsea said: “We would like to thank Kalidou for his contributions on and off the pitch during his time at Stamford Bridge and wish him well for the next stage of his career.”
After the news was confirmed, the 32-year-old also posted a thank-you message on his Twitter handle.
“From my first game to my last, it was an honour to wear this badge,” he said.
“Last season wasn’t the one we wanted, but I want to thank the fans and everyone at the club for your support.”
Meanwhile, Koulibaly is also Al-Hilal’s second high-profile signing this month after they added Wolves captain Ruben Neves to their ranks.
The former Napoli centre-back is not the last Chelsea player that will sign for a Saudi Pro League club his summer. Fellow Africans Halim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy are expected to complete transfers to Al Nassr and Al Ahli, respectively, in the next few days.
