Kalidou Koulibaly has fired a slight dig at Chelsea following his £20million switch to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal this summer. The 32-year-old joined the Blues from Napoli last year but endured a difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge.
Koulibaly was tasked with filling the void left by the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen - but he failed to have a strong impact on the squad. The Senegal international found himself being regularly rotated in and out of the starting line-up by Chelsea's different managers throughout the campaign.
Benoit Badiashile's arrival in January did little to help Koulibaly's confidence at Chelsea. Ultimately, the Senegal international was deemed surplus to requirements by the Blues and has now been moved on after just 12 months.
The return of Levi Colwill from a successful loan spell at Brighton means Chelsea already have a ready-made replacement for Koulibaly in defence. Mauricio Pochettino is keen on working with Colwill and looks set to head into the new season with the youngster, Wesley Fofana, Badiashile and Thiago Silva as his centre-back options.
Following his exit from Chelsea, Koulibaly has now aimed a sly dig at the Blues after a nightmare 2022/23 campaign at Stamford Bridge. The Senegalese defender told Corriere dello Sport: “I had no guarantees to get regular playing time [at Chelsea], I was always professional but I don’t like to sit on the bench doing nothing.
“I prefer a place where I am wanted and at the centre of the project and can be an example for young players. The Premier League is fantastic and there are great players.
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"They [Chelsea] expected the Koulibaly of Napoli, but I think my season was not so bad. I needed time and in one year I couldn’t prove what I wanted because of the coach’s and club’s choices.
“I am happy with what I learned about my limits, my family and my kids,” he continued. "My time had come and I had to make a decision.
"My teammates sent me so many messages, they are all sorry, but I have to prepare for the AFCON. It’s the most important thing for me, Senegal want to win again, but it won’t be easy.”
Koulibaly followed N'Golo Kante to Saudi Arabia, whilst Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech are also expected to complete moves to the Saudi Pro League this summer. Pochettino is prioritising sales ahead of new signings so far after Christopher Nkunku was confirmed as the Blues' first arrival ahead of next season.
Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all expected to leave the club in the coming weeks. Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Christian Pulisic and Trevoh Chalobah could all be sold to raise funds to bring in new signings such as Moises Caicedo.
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