Chelsea Transfer Insights: Boehly Details the £33m Koulibaly Setback

The big news was when Koulibaly, a football player from Senegal, moved from Napoli to Chelsea in 2022. He was supposed to be a key player for Chelsea, but things didn’t work out as planned.

Chelsea’s part-owner, Todd Boehly, recently talked about why Koulibaly struggled during his time at Chelsea. He explained this at a conference in Los Angeles. He also talked about how Chelsea’s performance has improved under their new coach, Mauricio Pochettino.

Boehly shared that Koulibaly found it hard to adjust to the fast-paced style of the English Premier League. In Italy’s Serie A league, he could think before making a move, but in England, he had to react quickly without much time to think. This change was tough for him.

When asked about what Koulibaly might think of playing in the United States’ Major League Soccer (MLS), Boehly joked about it. Koulibaly later explained that he left Chelsea because he wasn’t getting enough playing time. He wanted to be in a team where he felt valued and could play regularly. He also wanted to be a role model for younger players. Koulibaly felt that Chelsea expected him to perform like he did at Napoli, but he needed more time to adjust to the new team and league.

In the end, Koulibaly decided to leave Chelsea and move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He felt it was the right decision for him and his family. Despite the challenges, he’s happy with what he learned during his time at Chelsea.