Kalidou Koulibaly posts farewell message to Napoli

Kalidou Koulibaly has posted a farewell message to Napoli fans on his Instagram page ahead of his move to Chelsea.

The 31-year-old will become Thomas Tuchel’s second signing of the summer after they completed a deal for Raheem Sterling earlier this week.

Koulibaly has long been linked with a move away from Napoli – including to Chelsea in the past – and now that his time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is actually coming to an end, the centre-back took to social media to bid their adoring fans goodbye.

Accompanying a video consisting of highlights and Naples landmarks, Koulibaly said: “1 June 2014, an unforgettable date: my arrival in Naples, the beginning of a story of pure love.

“I was a shy boy, but with a great desire to show the world that I could do it!

“Victories, defeats, joys, disappointments. Too many emotions lived together: impossible to summarise them. But I keep everything: in my mind, in my heart.

“My two children were born in Naples. I have met people who will forever be part of my life and who made me and my family feel at home: from the first to the last moment.

“Thanks to you, Napoli, I became the man I am today. Thanks to the club, the President, the coaches, all my teammates and all the people I have had the pleasure of working with over the years.

“Thank you, Napoli and Neapolitans, for all the love we have given each other. I am proud to have honoured you with all of myself and I will continue, indefinitely, to carry you in my heart and to nurture one of the most important feelings for me: respect.

“You have been everything for me. Now I feel I have to leave and get back into the game: it’s time for a new adventure.”