Chelsea have signed centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly on a four-year deal from Serie A side Napoli. The Senegalese international, 31, joined Napoli from Genk in 2014 and made 317 appearances for the Italian side. His arrival at Stamford Bridge follows the departures of defenders Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen to Barcelona, both on free transfers. “I’m very happy to be here with this team at Chelsea,” Koulibaly said. “They are a big club in the world and my dream has always been to play in the Premier League. Chelsea came first to sign me in 2016 but we didn’t make it. Now when they approached me I accepted because they really wanted me to come to the Premier League to play for them. “When I talked to my good friends Edu [Mendy] and Jorginho made my choice easier.” Koulibaly made his debut for Senegal in September 2015 and has since won 62 caps, captaining the side to victory at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He becomes Chelsea’s second signing following the Todd Boehly-led takeover after Raheem Sterling joined the club in a £50m deal. Boehly said: “Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the best defenders in the world and we are delighted to welcome him to Chelsea. “A great leader and exemplary team player, Kalidou brings a wealth of experience and qualities that will benefit our team and the club as a whole.”
