Despite not getting his Chelsea career to the best of starts, ex-Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly has defended his move to the Premier League following a summer transfer window filled with reports surrounding a potential move within Italy. The Senegalese was trailed by a host of top clubs, including Juventus, but instead chose to move to Stamford Bridge.
The stopper spoke to Corriere della Sera (via Tuttomercatoweb) in an exclusive talk and revealed why he didn’t choose to transfer to the Bianconeri, who were inches away from sealing a deal for his services.
“Offers from Italian teams? Yes, but I didn’t accept them. Juventus? It’s a shirt that I couldn’t wear, out of faith and also out of respect”.
Fan-favorite Koulibaly ended his Partenopei stint with 317 appearances, maintaining his loyalty with the club by denying a move to arch-rivals Juventus.
Kalidou #Koulibaly al CorSera: “Avevo offerte da altri club italiani. La voleva #Allegri? Lo sta dicendo lei (ride). Quella della #Juventus era una maglia che non potevo indossare, per fede e per rispetto verso #Napoli. Fine carriera? Magari vado a fare il dirigente a Napoli!”
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) November 1, 2022
He was also chased by Barcelona, but the Spaniards instead chose to invest in Jules Kounde from Sevilla. With Chelsea missing out on Kounde, who was the Blues’ top target, they jumped upon the chance to hire Koulibaly for his services.
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