Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Al Hilal club announced on Sunday the signing of Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly to join Al Hilal from Premier League side Chelsea.
The club added that Koulibaly’s contract extends for three seasons until the end of 2025-2026 season.
Koulibaly scored two goals in 32 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea after joining them from Napoli last July.
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.
“From the ‘Wolves’ to the biggest team in Asia,” Al-Hilal announced on social media after the player signed a three-season deal in Paris.
Neves leaves Wolves after six seasons for “a club record fee”, the Premier League side announced, reported to be around 55 million euros.
Neves, who arrived at Wolves from Porto, had one year on his contract left at Molineux.
Koulibaly and Neves joins in the Saudi Pro League Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, 35, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, in what is expected to be just the start of a series of move for stars based in Europe.
France’s World Cup-winning midfielder N’Golo Kante, 32, has joined Benzema at Al-Ittihad.
The kingdom’s league had already signed up five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January.
