Chelsea have confirmed the sale of central defender Papy Djilobodji to fellow Premier League side Sunderland in an £8m deal.

Chelsea have announced on their official website the transfer of Papy Djilobodji to Sunderland. The announcement stated that the defender has signed with the Wearside club on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee. The Senegal international becomes former Manchester United manager David Moyes’s first signing as a Sunderland manager and would hope to put his Chelsea nightmare behind him. The Blues thanked the defender for his services and wished him luck in his future endeavours.

Sunderland also announced the signing of the 27-year-old on their official website. The announcement also stated that Papy has signed a four-year contract with the club, who are delighted with the capture of the former Nantes player.

Djilobodji signed for Chelsea on deadline day last summer from Nantes but was in for an early shock as he was not included in the club’s 25-man squad for the Champions League. The Senegalese failed to make a single league appearance for the Blues with his debut coming in the League Cup away to Walsall, where he replaced Radamel Falcao in extra time.

Papy did not play a single minute in regulation time for his new club and was soon loaned to Bundesliga club Werder Bremen in January. The 27-year-old finally got some regular first-team game time and was a constant feature for his temporary employers. Papy made a total of 14 starts for the club and quickly became their hero and unlikely saviour, scoring a late-winner in Werder Bremen’s penultimate match to secure the club’s stay in the Bundesliga.

The Senegalese has been consistent at the back during his time with Nantes as well as in his short stint at Werder Bremen. David Moyes would hope he continues to do so as he looks forward to his debut season as the Sunderland manager. The player took to twitter to show his delight at securing a transfer to play at the Stadium of Light.

Papy Djilobodji featured in the first two pre-season games for Antonio Conte, but the defender has been let go by the Blues even though they were already short at the back. The club, though, have maintained their transfer policy by securing a heavy profit on their investment. The centre-back’s departure may mean Chelsea are about to delve into the market themselves to grab a defender to add to their own squad, with the club being linked with a move for Arsenal target Shrokdan Mustafi.

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