Kalidou Koulibaly is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, who have reached a verbal agreement with Chelsea for the transfer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Kalidou Koulibaly will join Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal as he nears an exit from Chelsea. The Middle Eastern club have reached a verbal agreement with the Blues, with details of the fee involved remaining unclear. The defender will sign a three-year deal with Al Hilal.
Kalidou Kouibaly’s future had become a bother for Chelsea and their fans. The defender arrived with a huge reputation for his performances with Napoli for many years but failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge.
Koulibaly was frozen out briefly in a season of difficulties before returning amid injuries to other players. His performances have not been good enough for the price and wages Chelsea paid to secure the 32-year-old defender last summer.
There were talks of a return to Italy for a brief moment. But as soon as the Saudi Arabia interest came in, there was only one destination. The 32-year-old defender is now set to move to Al Hilal after the two clubs verbally agreed on the fee.
Understand Al Hilal are now closing in on Kalidou Koulibaly deal, here we go! 🚨🔵🇸🇦 #CFC #AlHilal
Verbal agreement reached with Chelsea.
Personal terms also agreed on a three year contract — he’ll join Rúben Neves.
Contracts now being checked… and then signed.
Here we go 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/2616cqGMlU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2023
Koulibaly will sign a three-year deal, reflecting the remaining time on his Chelsea deal. The wages and the transfer fee remain unclear at this stage. But the cultured defender will likely get a lucrative package for the quality he brings to the pitch.
Chelsea will also receive a much-needed cash injection for their troubles. The speculation began after reports emerged of a Saudi Arabian delegation holding talks with the Blues for three of their players. Apart from that N’Golo Kante has already joined Al-Ittihad, while Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech were targetted.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also a target for these clubs. But the deals have started to materialise with the Koulibaly transfer. There are expected announcements on Mendy and Ziyech soon, as Chelsea look to offload deadwood from a large, unmanageable squad.
The Saudi Arabian league are also set to target more players, with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey also a candidate. They have already secured the high-profile signing of midfielder Ruben Neves from Wolves, and might keep continuing their quest to bring some top stars to the Middle East.
