Kalidou Koulibaly has completed a move to Al-Hilal Football Club in a €25 million deal.
He left Chelsea after completing a permanent transfer to Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal.
Koulibaly had long been expected to depart Stamford Bridge, and his exit was finally confirmed on Sunday evening. He only joined the Blues last summer and made just 23 appearances during the 2022–23 season.
The centre-back arrived from Napoli last summer and made 32 appearances for the Blues during his sole campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The 32-year-old made his debut away at Everton and marked his first home game with a fantastic volley against Tottenham Hotspur. His other Chelsea goal also came in a London derby, away to Fulham.
Midway through the campaign, Koulibaly captained Senegal to the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar; the defender scored a crucial winning goal to help his country overcome Ecuador and reach the knockout stage.
Koulibaly will not be the last Chelsea player to end up in Saudi Arabia this summer. N’Golo Kante is already on his way to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, while Hakim Ziyech will team up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, and Edouard Mendy is set to join Al-Ahly.
Koulibaly will link up with ex-Wolves star Ruben Neves at Al-Hilal and look to challenge the likes of Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title next season.
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, Chelsea FC said.
