Chelsea officially confirm the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in a £34m four-year deal as they add second arrival to their summer revolution, with the defender admitting he is ‘very happy’
- Kalidou Koulibaly has become the second signing of Chelsea’s new revolution
- The former Napoli defender has now put pen to paper on a four-year contract
- His arrival was officially announced by the Blues in the early hours of Saturday
- Speaking to the club, the centre back admitted he is ‘very happy’ with the move
Chelsea have officially confirmed the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in a deal worth £34million, with the defender becoming their second summer arrival.
The centre back has penned a four-year contract, having already completed his medical and jetted out to Las Vegas to join up with his team-mates for pre-season.
With the announcement coming in the early hours of today, Koulibaly will join Raheem Sterling in Thomas Tuchel’s squad – and their spending is not yet over.
Chelsea have officially confirmed the signing of defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli
‘I’m very happy to be here with this team at Chelsea,’ Koulibaly said. ‘It’s a big team in the world and my dream was always to play in the Premier League. Chelsea came first to get me in 2016 but we didn’t make it.
‘Now when they came to me I accepted it because they really wanted me to come to the Premier League to play for them. When I spoke to my good friends Edou [Mendy] and Jorginho they made my choice easier so I’m really happy to be with you today.
‘I want to thank the fans because I saw a lot of them in London and on the plane everybody was happy for me to be here. So I want to thank them and I hope the season will be really good and we will give some good moments to the fans.’
The centre back has penned a four-year contract and has met his new team-mates in the US
Boss Tuchel was asked for his thoughts on his new defender last night and said: ‘I’m very happy about his signing and joining our team.
‘He’s now the second signing of the summer.
‘Again we have a strong player, a strong personality with big experience and from our point a view a perfect addition to our group.’
Centre-half Koulibaly made 317 appearances across all competitions for Napoli, scoring 14 goals, and he will now train with the Blues to get up to speed.
Thomas Tuchel has described his new addition as a ‘strong player’ and the ‘perfect’ signing
Todd Boehly, Chelsea’s new owner, said: ‘Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the world’s elite defenders and we are delighted to be welcoming him to Chelsea.
‘A great leader and an exemplary team player, Kalidou brings a wealth of experience and attributes that will benefit our squad and the club as a whole.’
Yesterday, Koulibaly posted an emotional farewell message to his former team.
Taking to social media, the 31-year-old thanked supporters for creating a ‘love story’ during his eight-year stint in Italy – but admitted it was time for a ‘new adventure’.
Todd Boehly (left) has sealed his second summer arrival, after Raheem Sterling (centre) joined
Sterling moved from Manchester City for £50million to become the first signing of the new era
On his Twitter account, he posted a picture of himself on a plane to the United States to join Chelsea’s pre-season tour with the caption: ‘Napoli, terra mia’ – translated to ‘Naples, my land’ – followed by a blue heart and a sign-off.
Over on Instagram, he added: ‘June 1, 2014, an unforgettable date: my arrival in Naples, the beginning of a pure love story…
‘Thank you, Naples and Neapolitan(s), for all the love we gave each other.
‘You were, to me, everything. Now I feel I need to leave and step back in the game, time for a new adventure.’
Chelsea had already signed Sterling from champions Manchester City for £50million prior to landing Koulibaly, a sought-after defender who had been linked with a move to the Premier League for several years.
The Blues have been knocked back in their pursuit of City defender Nathan Ake, who has decided to stay in Manchester, and have reportedly since revived their interest in Sevilla star Jules Kounde.
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