New Chelsea signing Kalidou Koulibaly appears to have already started work at his new club, following Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Mexican giants Club America.
The Senegal international was officially unveiled in Chelsea colours yesterday for a fee that is reportedly in the region of €40million (£33.8m) and it is a signing that was absolutely imperative following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers. Whilst Chelsea fans will be eager to see Koulibaly in action, he was spotted getting on with things already after the match in America.
Fans who stayed inside the stadium will have seen the 31-year-old running laps around the pitch after the win against Club America, alongside young star Levi Colwill. Raheem Sterling, who was the club's first signing of the summer from Manchester City, was also seen doing some drills with Billy Gilmour, Tino Anjorin and Harvey Vale.
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Koulibaly arrives at Stamford Bridge with a plethora of experience under his belt, having played a starting role for eight years in Italy with Napoli, where he delivered incredible levels of consistency. His aggressive style and willingness to push the entire backline higher up the pitch will ensure that Thomas Tuchel's men can sustain pressure consistently.
Furthermore, with the former PSG manager an advocate of possession football, Koulibaly's presence will provide great value on this front as he excels in breaking lines with forward passing, delivering precise diagonal switches towards the flanks as well as frequently driving forward with the ball into midfield areas. With the 6ft 1in centre back penning a four-year deal in west London, it's fully expected that he will play a huge role in the club's backline for many seasons.
Uncertainty over whether he can adjust to the demands of the Premier League is present, especially when considering football in England's top flight is of higher intensity, pace and physicality when compared to Serie A. But Koulibaly's profile and general footballing intelligence should ensure that he doesn't have much difficulty in adapting and given the fact that Tuchel currently favours a back-three system, the platform is there for him to thrive in a Chelsea shirt.
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