Premier League giants Chelsea have, on Sunday evening, confirmed the exit of a headline member of the club’s defensive ranks.
The Blues star in question? Kalidou Koulibaly.
Stopper Koulibaly, of course, only made the move to England’s capital last summer, on the back of a stellar stint in Italy with Napoli.
With the Senegalese having endured something of a hit-and-miss debut season in the Premier League, and Chelsea desperate to raise funds to aid further summer expenditure, though, speculation had long been in circulation that Koulibaly could be sacrificed.
The powers that be at Stamford Bridge, in turn, were no doubt thrilled upon a host of clubs from the Middle East making their interest in luring the 32-year-old away from Stamford Bridge known.
And, as alluded to above, on Sunday, one such outfit have beaten out the competition, to close a deal for Koulibaly’s services.
‘Kalidou Koulibaly has left Chelsea after completing a permanent transfer to Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal.
‘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.’
Kalidou Koulibaly has completed a move to @Alhilal_FC. ✍️
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 25, 2023
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