Kalidou Koulibaly Takes Brutal Dig at Chelsea After Leaving Stamford Bridge

• Kalidou Koulibaly has hit out at Chelsea's top leadership following his departure from the club
• The Senegalese is among a host of high-profile players heading to the Middle East
• Koulibaly quit the Blues after just a year with them, having joined the club from Napoli last summer

Kalidou Koulibaly has delivered a brutal dig at Chelsea after sealing his Stamford Bridge exit.

The Senegal defender is among a host of Chelsea stars who have been offloaded this summer for a move to the Middle East.

According to The Sun, Koulibaly completed his £17million transfer to Saudi side Al-Hilal, with the move seeing him link up with former Wolves ace Ruben Neves.

His departure from the west London club came barely a year after he joined them from Napoli for £30million.

Koulibaly, who was once rated among the top defenders in Europe, failed to adapt at Stamford Bridge, as he managed just 23 Premier League appearances while being sent off only in his third match.

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Kalidou Koulibaly aims dig at Chelsea

The 32-year-old has now fired a parting shot at Chelsea following his exit from the club.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, the Senegalese criticised Chelsea's management and leadership, pointing out that he expected to be given more importance in the team.

"I had no guarantees to get regular playing time [at Chelsea]. I was always professional but I don’t like to sit on the bench doing nothing," he explained.

"I prefer a place where I am wanted and at the centre of the project and can be an example for young players. The Premier League is fantastic and there are great players.

"They [Chelsea] expected the Koulibaly of Napoli, but I think my season was not so bad. I needed time and in one year I couldn’t prove what I wanted because of the coach’s and club’s choices," he added.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported Mateo Kovacic has opened up on his decision to dump Chelsea to seal a sensational summer transfer move to Manchester City.

The Croatian midfielder became City's first signing of the summer after the Premier League champions agreed to pay Chelsea £25m plus £5m in add-ons for his signature.