Todd Boehly admitted that one of his high-profile signings at Chelsea found the Premier League’s intensity challenging.
Boehly’s Clearlake consortium, in their quest to infuse Stamford Bridge with top young talent, has invested over £1 billion in new recruits.
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Kalidou Koulibaly, an established player, was brought in to address Chelsea’s defensive woes. Highly sought after by previous Chelsea managers, Koulibaly’s acquisition by Thomas Tuchel was seen as a key move in the team’s overhaul.
However, Koulibaly’s tenure at Chelsea began with difficulties, culminating in a red card during his third appearance against Leeds United, a setback from which he couldn’t rebound.
After a mere 20 games in the Premier League, Koulibaly transferred to Al-Hilal the following summer, with Boehly conceding a 50% loss on the investment.
Despite the professional setback, Boehly affirms a strong personal rapport with Koulibaly, who was taken aback by the stark contrast between the Premier League and the Serie A, where he had spent his prime years.
‘There’s no bigger sport in the world,’ Boehly said. ‘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.
‘Koulibaly came over from Serie A (where he played for Napoli) 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’.’
Chelsea has made significant investments in bolstering their defense, securing players such as Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, and Wesley Fofana.
Even with these acquisitions, the Blues are expected to pursue at least one additional central defender in the upcoming summer transfer window, especially in light of Thiago Silva’s confirmed exit.
In a video to Chelsea supporters confirming his exit last week, Thiago said: ‘Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years. Not just for me but for my family, too.
‘My sons play for Chelsea so it’s a source of great pride to be a part of the Chelsea family – literally because my sons are here. I hope they can continue their careers here at this victorious club that many players wish to be part of.
‘unfortunately, everything has a start, a middle and an end. That doesn’t mean that this is a definitive end. I hope to leave the door open so that in the near future I can return, albeit in another role here.
But…it’s an indescribable love. I can only say thank you.
‘Obviously, when I started here, it was during the pandemic so there wasn’t any fans in the stadium. But through social media, it became something very special to me and then when the fans started coming back to the stadium and life was getting back to normal, I started to feel a lot of affection and respect for my story and for my start here.’
