Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly dumps Chelsea for Saudi’s Al-Hilal

Kalidou Koulibaly has officially completed a transfer to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, becoming the latest Chelsea player to make the move.

The 32-year-old centre-back now joins forces with Ruben Neves, who recently made a £47 million switch from Wolves to the Saudi Pro League side.

Meanwhile, Saudi champions Al-Ittihad have secured the signing of Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, while goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is on the verge of joining Al-Ahli.

Koulibaly’s arrival at Al-Hilal marks his departure from Chelsea, where he showcased his defensive prowess for just one season. After joining the Blues from Napoli last July, the experienced defender brought with him a wealth of European and international experience.

He played a vital role in Napoli’s triumph in the Italian Cup in 2020 and also helped Senegal claim victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.

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During his time at Stamford Bridge, Koulibaly featured in 32 games across all competitions, displaying his defensive prowess and contributing two goals in 23 Premier League appearances. However, the towering centre-back’s journey with Chelsea has come to an end as he embarks on a new adventure in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal.

“From my first game to my last, it was an honour to wear this badge,” Koulibaly said on Twitter.

“Last season wasn’t the one we wanted, but I want to thank the fans and everyone at the club for your support.”

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Chelsea have chosen to keep the exact fee undisclosed, but rumors suggest that Al-Hilal may have splashed out as much as £20 million to secure the services of Koulibaly. The defender’s move to Saudi Arabia follows a trend that was kick-started by Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Al-Nassr in January.

Following Ronaldo’s move, there has been a flurry of European players making their way to the Saudi Pro League. Karim Benzema joined Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid at the end of the season, and there have been strong links between Thomas Partey of Arsenal and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City with potential moves to Saudi Arabia.

This influx of talent is a testament to the league’s ambitions to become one of the top five leagues in the world. The trend aligns with the decision made by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in June to acquire four prominent clubs in the country, in addition to their ownership of Newcastle United.

While there are uncertainties regarding PIF’s involvement with Chelsea’s ultimate owners, Clearlake Capital, club sources have denied any direct connection. Nevertheless, it seems likely that Chelsea could see four of their players make the switch to the Saudi Pro League before the end of the summer.