Koulibaly aims dig at Chelsea following his £20m transfer to Al-Hilal

Kalidou Koulibaly aims dig at ex-club Chelsea following his £20m transfer to Al-Hilal… as he says he ‘prefers to play where I am wanted’ after becoming the latest star to make Saudi move

  • Kalidou Koulibaly, 32, spent just 12-months at Chelsea after joining from Napoli 
  • He cited a lack of guaranteed playing time in remarks about his Chelsea career
  • The defender has become the latest Chelsea player to join the Saudi Pro League 

Kalidou Koulibaly wasted no time in firing shots at his former club after completing a £20million transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

The 32-year-old featured 23 times in his lone Premier League campaign as both he and Chelsea endured a miserable campaign.

Following his hurried Stamford Bridge exit, the ex-Napoli defender was quick to appraise his short-time in England, revealing a lack of game time may explain his subpar performances.

‘I had no guarantees to get regular playing time [at Chelsea],’ he told Corriere dello Sport. ‘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.’

Kalidou Koulibaly completed a £20m transfer to Al-Hilal this week after just a year at Chelsea 

The defender fell out of favour at Stamford Bridge, starting just 20 Premier League games

Todd Boehly is attempting to clear the decks after his unprecedented spending spree last year

Chelsea’s £34m capture of Koulibaly was heralded as a major coup after the Senegalese captain’s constant flirtation with moves to elite European clubs. 

But just 12 months later, the Saudi proposal afforded all the parties the much desired opportunity to end their brief relationship.

Koulibaly joins Ruben Neves at the Saudi Pro League side following the Wolves midfielder’s £47m switch.

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has also agreed to sign for Saudi champions Al-Ittihad, while team-mate Edouard Mendy is close to joining Al-Ahli.

There is also a deal in the works for Hakim Ziyech to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, while both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romelu lukaku continue to be pursued despite rebuffing the advances of the league.

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