Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have completed the signing of Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea.
The 32-year-old joins the Saudi giants on a three-year deal after Chelsea received a £17 million transfer fee for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations winning captain.
Koulibaly joined Chelsea in a sensational move from Napoli last summer. The French-born Senegal international chose the Stamford Bridge outfit to fulfil his dream of playing in the Premier League ahead of interest from the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Chelsea spent £33 million to acquire his signature from Napoli and both signed a four-year contract to that effect. His signing was met with much enthusiasm as he had made a name for himself as one of Europe’s best defenders in that time.
He endeared himself even more to Chelsea fans when he took the legendary number 26 jersey which used to belong to former captain John Terry. The former England centreback gave his blessings to the Senegal international and it looked like the start of something great.
Three managers and a poor season after, Koulibaly left for Saudi Arabia, cutting what was supposed to be a four-year stay to one year.
Koulibaly is expected to make around £30 million a year from his Al-Hilal contract although the Saudi side have not released any information on the details of said contract.
Koulibaly made 32 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions last season, scoring two goals. He is now the third Premier League player to move to Saudi Arabia from the 2022/23 season, following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo last December and Ruben Neves last week.
Ronaldo left Manchester United due to irreconcilable differences for Al-Nassr, who gave him the biggest contract in football history. Neves left Wolverhampton Wanderers for Al-Hila, where he will now line up with Koulibaly, after being rejected by his first choice Barcelona.
A few more players from the Premier League are on the Saudis’ radar and this is a development that has brought about worry among Premier League fans.
The Saudis’ move to sign accomplished footballers is akin to how China and America tried to increase the stock of their local leagues. It is also in view of their proposed hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
They believe that the stars will be ambassadors for their bid to host the global showpiece in 2030, which could sway the decision of the member confederations of FIFA when the voting on the submitted bids open.
Koulibaly thanked Chelsea fans with a short post on his social media. “From my first game to my last, it was an honour to wear this badge,” the post reads.
“Last season wasn’t the one we wanted, but I want to thank the fans and everyone at the club for your support.”
