Saudi Arabia becoming the new Chelsea: Four players secured by wealthy clubs, fifth and sixth could follow soon

Saudi Arabian clubs love shopping in London. A true exodus is looming at Chelsea. First, N'Golo Kante was already acquired by Al-Ittihad, and earlier today, Fabrizio Romano announced that Hakim Ziyech is on the verge of signing for Al-Nassr. Now, the transfer expert reports that Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy are going to Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, respectively.

With his trademark "Here we go," Romano reveals that Al-Hilal is close to signing Koulibaly. The Senegalese defender has reached a personal agreement with the Saudi Premier League's third-placed team and will sign a three-year contract. Koulibaly joined Chelsea last summer for €38 million from Napoli. The transfer fee that the Saudi club will pay Chelsea is still unknown, although Romano previously mentioned €25 to €30 million. Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton Wanderers is also heading to Al-Hilal.

Almost identical is Romano's post about Mendy. The goalkeeper has reached an agreement on a three-year contract with Al-Ahli, which is being promoted to Saudi Arabia's highest level. The price that Chelsea will receive for this transfer is not known yet. Mendy is a compatriot of Koulibaly and the duo played 90 minutes against the Netherlands in the World Cup.

In addition to Kanté, Ziyech, Koulibaly and Mendy, Chelsea may also be able to offload some redundant players to the wealthy country. Callum Hudson-Odoi has reportedly received two offers from undisclosed clubs. Furthermore, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also rumored to be making a move to Saudi Arabia.

Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly, recently traveled to the country to discuss the deals, facilitated by the connections between the English club and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). PIF holds majority stakes in Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. At the same time, PIF has already invested in Clearlake Capital, the majority shareholder of Chelsea. Boehly appears to be leveraging those connections to offload redundant players.

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