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Since Roman Abramovich's takeover in 2003, Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders in the transfer market. They have brought in a plethora of talent from across Europe which has helped them win several titles, propelling them to the very top of world football.
Players like Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Eden Hazard, Ashley Cole and many others have found tremendous success for the Blues while playing at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have made some regretable transfer sales in the past
While the Blues have been known to spend big, they have also sold many players. Most of these players were offloaded while they were still young while some of them departed the club during their prime. As such, there are a few transfer sales that Chelsea would have surely regretted considering what the players have gone on to achieve at other clubs.
Here, we take a look at five such players whom Chelsea should not have sold:
Honorable mention: Juan Cuadrado
#5 Thorgan Hazard
After signing Eden Hazard from Lille in 2012, Chelsea also brought in the Belgian's younger brother, Thorgan Hazard, from Lens during the same transfer window. But while the older brother became a modern-day legend at Stamford Bridge, things didn't quite pan out the same for the younger sibling.
Thorgan made only one appearance for Chelsea's Under-21 side before being shipped out on loan to Zulte Waregem in Belgium. He spent two seasons there before going on to spend a season on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, a move which was made permanent in 2015.
The 28-year-old steadily improved at the club, scoring 46 goals and registering 44 assists in 187 appearances for the side. His performances convinced Borussia Dortmund to shell out £23 million for his services in 2019.
He has been a useful player for the Bundesliga giants so far, registering 12 goals and 20 assists in two seasons. His stats at Dortmund are almost similar compared to Chelsea's current wingers. The club could have definitely saved millions in the transfer market had they decided to retain the player.
Furthermore, the fact that he has excelled as a wing-back for the Belgian national team rubs salt into Chelsea's wounds. In more ways than one, he could have been an exciting fit at Stamford Bridge.
#4 Arjen Robben
Arguably one of the most decorated players of the 21st century, Arjen Robben was a player of vast quality who Chelsea let go in 2007.
Originally purchased from PSV for around £16 million, the Dutch winger managed to make just 106 appearances across all competitions during his three seasons at the club. He scored 19 goals and registered 22 assists, while also winning two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge.
However, he was never fully able to cement his place in the Chelsea line-up and playing time was becoming an issue under Jose Mourinho.
As such, Robben left for Real Madrid in 2007 for a hefty £31.5 million. He had two good seasons with Los Blancos and was a key member of their La Liga triumph in his debut campaign. But the appointment of Florentino Perez as president in 2009 saw several big money signings arrive at the club. Real Madrid then needed to recoup some funds and therefore Robben was sold to Bayern Munich for £22.5 million.
It is with the Bavarians, however, that Robben achieved true greatness. During his time at the club, Robben won everything on offer, including eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals and the 2012-13 Champions League with him scoring the winning goal.
Robben made more than 300 appearances during his nine seasons with the Bundesliga giants before departing the club in 2019. Chelsea fans were left to imagine what could have been had Robben not left the club.
#3 Diego Costa
Diego Costa's departure from Chelsea was a baffling one, considering he was a key part of the Chelsea team during his time at the club.
Costa was signed by Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2014, and he lit up the fireworks during his debut season at the club. His fierce determination would represent the spirit of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side. Costa netted 20 goals across the league campaign as the Chelsea faithful saw one of their most convincing title wins.
Like most of Chelsea's squad, Costa's form dipped during the following season, leading to Mourinho's sacking. The Spaniard would once again however hit 20 league goals under Antonio Conte in 2016-17, firing Chelsea to another Premier League title.
However, a rift with the manager saw Costa receiving a text message from Conte saying his services were no longer required at the club. As such, the Spaniard returned to Atletico Madrid the following season.
Costa is arguably the best striker Chelsea have had since Didier Drogba, with big-money signings like Fernando Torres and Alvaro Morata failing at the club. The Blues have re-signed Romelu Lukaku for a club-record £97.5 million this summer. It remains to be seen whether the Belgian will find success at Stamford Bridge or not.
Chelsea fans, meanwhile, would have definitely been annoyed with the way Costa departed the club.
#2 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah was certainly not known by many when Chelsea signed him for a fairly hefty £14.5 million in January 2014.
Known for his pace on the wings, Salah's career never kicked off at Chelsea. Apart from scoring in the 6-0 win over Arsenal and featuring in the infamous "Gerard slip" match against Liverpool at Anfield, Salah barely enjoyed any big moments.
Two successful loan spells with Fiorentina and Roma eventually led to Chelsea selling Salah to the latter for around £14 million in 2016. 20 goals in just over 40 appearances in the 2016-17 season led to Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool paying £30 million pounds for his services.
With 132 goals and 50 assists in 212 appearances, one Premier League title, one Champions League title and two Premier League Golden Boots, Salah has been nothing short of sensational.
It speaks volumes about the success that Salah and Liverpool have enjoyed. He is considered one of the very best in football right now and is constantly spoken about in the same bracket as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Chelsea have not finished above Liverpool in the league since Salah's arrival at Anfield. This is a transfer mistake that will certainly hurt the Blues fans in the years to come.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne
Perhaps the biggest regret Chelsea will have is letting go of Kevin De Bruyne, who has arguably turned out to be one of the best midfielders in the world right now.
Signed from Genk in 2012 for a rumored £7 million pounds, De Bruyne's two-year stay in London coincided with what was perhaps the club's best ever time for attacking midfielders. The club had the likes of Willian, Oscar, Eden Hazard and even Juan Mata during that time, making it clear that De Bruyne would be down the pecking order.
As such, De Bruyne was allowed to leave on loan to Werder Bremen, where he impressed everyone with his performances. Many fans hoped the Belgian would repeat that at Stamford Bridge.
For whatever reason though, De Bruyne struggled under Jose Mourinho and within six months he was sent back to Germany, but this time it was a permanent move to Wolfsburg.
In his 18 months there, De Bruyne showed his true class and even bagged Germany's Footballer of the Year award in 2014-15. This convinced Manchester City to sign him for £55 million in the summer of 2015.
Since then, De Bruyne has established himself as one of the most acclaimed and accomplished players in the world. His creativity, vision and eye for goal has made many people consider him the best attacking midfielder in the world right now. His trophy cabinet at City consists of three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and five League Cups.
Chelsea have lacked a player of De Bruyne's creativity and ingenuity in the middle of the park in recent years. One could only imagine what the Blues would have achieved had he still been at the club.
