Kalidou Koulibaly hasn’t had a particularly impressive start at Chelsea following the summer move from Napoli. Freshly appointed coach Graham Potter benched him in his first two matches at the helm. The gaffer motivated it by saying he preferred relying on players who knew the environment better at first.
The Senegalese star revisited the situation and his transfer to French outlet Carré (via Virgilio).
“I feel great at this club, and my family integrated perfectly. I arrived at right moment and I feature next to players that have won many trophies. It’s up to me to prove on the pitch that they can lean on me. I’m very happy and I hope to carry on like this.”
Koulibaly professed his attachment to Napoli but stated that he decided quickly once Chelsea came calling.
“I knew that, after eight years with the Azzurri, my spell was coming to an end. There’s not much to do when one of the best teams in the world shows that they strongly want you to be part of their project. I didn’t hesitate. I will always be thankful to the Partenopei, which made my grow and turned me into the player and man I am today. My kids were born there. But it was time for a change.”
Our Take on Koulibaly, Chelsea, and Napoli
Amid a host of major exits, the departure of the defensive powerhouse seemed the most difficult to make up for. Instead, thanks to their impressive scouting and creativity, the Campania side quickly found another stud in the back in Kim Min-Jae, who fit right in and could reach similar levels in a hurry.
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