Chelsea have had a long interest in signing Kalidou Koulibaly, but it only worked out this summer.

The Senegal international was wanted by Antonio Conte when he was in charge of the club, but it didn’t work out back in 2016.

Thomas Tuchel pushed for the 31-year-old, and it worked this time around.

Koulibaly has admitted that he’s pleased it worked out this time, as he’s happy to join Chelsea.

“It’s true that it is a long time that the Premier League wanted me to come,” Kalidou Koulibaly said at his first press conference as a Chelsea player.

“I believe in God and these things so the moment was now. Maybe before nobody was ready and Napoli didn’t want me to come.

“I am not a player that likes to go fighting with my club to leave. I have a lot of respect for the owner and supporters but I think that this time was the good time to leave Napoli.

“I made eight years over there, had a lot of good moments with the supporters, my teammates, the club.

“I learned a lot about football so I decided with my friends and family to come with Chelsea.

“And why Chelsea? They are the only club that wanted really that I come. We had the first link in 2016 when [Antonio] Conte came here and wanted me to come.

“It didn’t happen but I was always linked to Chelsea and this time the stars were in a good line so I came here and I’m really happy to join Chelsea and the Premier League.”