Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has opened up on why one of his early signings for the Blues claims to have struggled in the Premier League.
Since taking over the West London club in 2022 as head of the Clearlake consortium, Boehly has spent over a billion pounds trying to get the right squad together to mount a decent campaign.
The American businessman spoke on the global greatness of football – and the Premier League in particular – but noted how the pace of the game left one £33m signing struggling to adapt after joining Chelsea.
According to the Metro, Boehly said: ‘There’s no bigger sport in the world. When you think about just the size and scale of European football, it’s just mind-numbing and there’s no better league in the world in the Premier League.
‘If you look at how these guys play, the speed with which they play the game. One of my players who I had a great relationship with is Kalidou Koulibaly.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly opened up on why one signing struggled in the Premier League
Kalidou Koulibaly had a season to forget at Chelsea, before being offloaded last summer
‘Koulibaly came over from Serie A and he told me one time, “In Serie A, I get to think and then run but in the Premier League, I have to run while I think, and I’m still adjusting to that”.’
The Senegalese defender was a star at Serie A side Napoli from 2014 until 2022, and was widely recognised as one of Europe’s best defenders, before joining Chelsea for £34m, signing a four-year deal.
However, he never settled in England, and spent just one season at Chelsea, making 32 appearances and scoring twice in all competitions for Chelsea before being sold to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal for £20m.
After his exit, Koulibaly made a public dig at Chelsea, telling Corriere dello Sport: ‘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.
‘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.’
Koulibaly joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal for £20m after one year at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have subsequently invested in new defenders like Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana.
They may be entering the market for a centre-back this summer too, following Thiago Silva’s exit from the club, as the Brazilian defender rejoins his boyhood club Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro.