Chelsea FC had completed the signing of Papy Djilobodji from Nantes on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £4m.
The Senegal international centre-back was in the last year of his contract at the French club, where he had made more than 160 appearances.
Djilobodji told Chelsea’s website: “I’m very happy to sign for a big club like Chelsea and I want to do my best to help the team win titles. I want to thank the club for giving me this opportunity.”
The 26-year-old, who can also play as a midfielder, was a key member of Nantes team which won promotion back to the Ligue 1 in the 2012-13 season.
Djilobodji joined Nantes aged 21 two months later and immediately sealed a place for himself in the squad.
He has been capped 12 times on the international stage, including two appearances at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
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