The departure of Kalidou Kouliably, which has been in the works for a week or so, was confirmed last night with the central defender departing Stamford Bridge after just one season to join the exodus to the Saudi Pro League.
Koulibaly’s sale means a chunk of money back and a huge saving on wages. But more importantly, it clears a path for Levi Colwill, the exceptional youth academy talent who has had two superb loan seasons in a row. He looks ready to at the very least be a backup for us, and while there’s still plenty of quality players ahead of him, he will have plenty of chances to play in the season to come.
This deliberate movement to clear a niche for him should put to bed any doubts he has about staying put. The end of the season saw some odd posts on social media and some answers in interviews implying he would rather be staying at Brighton, where he did so well last season.
