Talented Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly has finalized his move to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, bidding farewell to his former club for an undisclosed fee. The 32-year-old centre-back is now joined by Ruben Neves, who recently made a £47million switch from Wolves in the same league.
In addition to Koulibaly, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante has also agreed to a deal with Al Tihad, the Saudi champions, while goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is on the verge of joining Al Ahly. Colbilly arrived at Stamford Bridge last July, signing a four-year deal after a successful spell with Napoli. He played a key role in Napoli’s victory in the Italian Cup in 2020 and in Senegal’s victory in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
During his time at Chelsea, Koulibaly scored two goals in 23 Premier League matches, playing 32 times in various competitions. Thanking the club and its fans, Koulibaly wrote on Twitter, “From my first game to my last, it’s been an honor to wear this badge. Last season didn’t live up to our expectations, but I thank the fans. And everyone at the club to support him.”
The exact transfer fee paid by Al Hilal for Koulibaly’s services has not been disclosed, but reports suggest it could be in the region of £20 million. His move to Saudi Arabia follows a growing trend of European players moving to the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Al-Nasr in January started the trend, followed by Karim Benzema’s end-of-season move to Al-Thaidad from Real Madrid. Speculation has also linked Arsenal’s Thomas Partey and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva with potential moves to the league.
This increase in transfers underlines Saudi Pro League’s ambitions to become one of the top five leagues in the world. In June, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), owner of Newcastle United, took over four of the country’s most prominent clubs. While there is uncertainty surrounding PIF’s stake in Clearlake Capital, the private equity firm that ultimately owns Chelsea, club sources have ruled out direct involvement.
Under the management of Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea are currently undergoing a major squad reshuffle. The club have already seen Germany forward Kai Havertz sign a £65m deal with Arsenal, and Manchester City have had a £30m bid accepted for Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic. As part of their rebuild, Chelsea have welcomed France forward Christopher Nkunko from RB Leipzig, and Villarreal’s Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson is undergoing a medical in London.
