'Time for a new adventure' - Koulibaly says farewell to Napoli ahead of Chelsea transfer

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly delivered a message of farewell to fans of the Serie A club ahead of his expected departure. The Senegal international's next destination will be Chelsea, who are set to seal a €40 million (£34m/$40m) transfer in the coming days.

Koulibaly has become a firm favourite at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona since joining from Genk in 2014.

The centre-back was long linked with a move to one of Europe's financial powerhouses, but has finally decided to continue his career away from southern Italy.

“June 1st 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!" Koulibaly explained in an Instagram post.

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

"My two children were born in Naples. I have met people who will always 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, Naples, 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, Naples and Neapolitans, for all the love we have given each other.

"I am proud to have honored 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. Go Napoli forever."

The Senegal ace has been a rock at the heart of the