RIYADH — Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly has joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal from English Premier League side Chelsea, the two clubs announced.
“We’ll continue to make history together,” Al-Hilal wrote on Twitter, alongside a short video featuring Koulibaly.
The four-times Asian Champions League winners said Koulibaly’s contract would run until 2026 without giving any financial details. British media reported that the Saudi club would pay around 17 million pounds ($21.61 million) for the centre back.
The 32-year-old is the second player moving to Al-Hilal from the English Premier League after Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Saudi Pro league has become attractive to Europe-based players since Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr last January.
Koulibaly scored two goals in 32 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea after joining them from Napoli last July, Reuters reported.
“Kalidou Koulibaly has left Chelsea after completing a permanent transfer to Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal,” Chelsea said in a statement.
“We would like to thank Kalidou for his contributions on and off the pitch during his time at Stamford Bridge and wish him well for the next stage of his career.”
Backed by the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, the Saudi Pro League is luring big names from the major European leagues with the promise of huge salaries.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in January started the trend.
His former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema and French World Cup winner N’Golo Kante of Chelsea have recently joined Al-Ittihad.
Chelsea could be set to further profit from the Saudi investment.
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is reportedly close to joining Al-Ahli, while Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech is on the brink of a move to Al-Nassr.
The English club needs to sell players before the end of the month to try and comply with financial fair play regulations after spending over £500 million on new signings over the past 12 months.
Al-Hilal is the most decorated club in Saudi Arabia and Asia having won 66 trophies, and they hold the record for league and Asian Champions titles with 18 and four respectively.
Boosting their squad is a priority for the Riyadh-based club, who have lost their league and Champions League crowns.
Spanish media reported that they are also keen to secure the services of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.
