Kalidou Koulibaly has boldly claimed that Chelsea can win the Premier League title this season by finishing above Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Senegal international defender moved to Stamford Bridge from Napoli over the summer and has seen his former club put themselves in contention for a domestic crown in Italy. Koulibaly is hoping to see his new employers do the same, with the 31-year-old centre-half convinced that he can “write history” in west London.
Koulibaly has told Corriere della Sera when asked about the battle for top spot in the Premier League: “It will be Chelsea at the end of the season, I want to write history here.”
He added on an eventful start to his debut campaign in England: “I arrive with a coach who wanted me at all costs, and then he leaves. Both [Thomas] Tuchel and [Graham] Potter play with the three-man defences, I was used to a four with Napoli. It’s another string to my bow, you never stop learning. I knew I was going to have a hard time, and that’s proved true. Even [Gianfranco] Zola and [Didier] Drogba had anticipated that for me.”
Koulibaly has taken in 11 appearances for Chelsea so far, with one goal recorded and a red card collected across those outings for a side that is still searching for consistency.
A derby date with table-topping Arsenal is next on the domestic agenda for Chelsea, with the Gunners due at Stamford Bridge on Sunday after both sides have taken in midweek European competition.
