Koulibaly keen to 'give back' to Chelsea amid miserable first campaign

Kalidou Koulibaly admits his debut campaign at Chelsea didn't go as planned, but the Senegalese international remains determined to spend "many years" with the Blues.

Koulibaly left Napoli for Stamford Bridge in a £33.8m (€40m) deal last July, amid a huge spending spree sanctioned in the first Chelsea transfer window under Todd Boehly.

However, Chelsea have had a disastrous first campaign since changing ownership, sitting 11th in the Premier League table after sacking two bosses in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

Interim manager Frank Lampard oversaw a 1-0 loss to Wolves in his first game at the helm on Saturday, leaving the London side 17 points from Champions League places.

While Koulibaly admits he hasn't played to the best of his abilities since joining the Premier League, he is keen to make amends in future campaigns.

"I know I'm not 100% yet, but I think I'm getting to my level," he told The Times. "Chelsea have made a big decision in signing me and there is a great desire in me to give back.

"I want to be part of this club for many years. It's not the year Chelsea expected, but sometimes when you have big changes, new owners and half the he team is new, everyone has to adapt.

"But we know how big the ambition is here and we will work to regain the trust of the fans."

Koulibaly believes the team must accept responsibility for the coaching changes that have ruined Chelsea's campaign, adding: "When you change coaches, it's like you've failed somewhere.

"You have to keep fighting, and we will give it our all. Our new manager is a great legend, so we have to be behind him. We know we can do better, and we will."

Chelsea's latest defeat was their seventh on the road in the Premier League this season. They lost more away games in a single campaign in 2000-01 (eight).