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#3 Thorgan Hazard
The other Hazard’s arrival at Chelsea back in 2012 was completely overshadowed by his more famous sibling’s - but what he lacked in fame, he more than made up for with talent. Thorgan made his debut for the Blues in an Under-21 Premier League match against Manchester City back in 2012, which turned out to be his only outing for the London club.
He was shipped on loan to his homeland with Belgian club Zulte Waregem soon after, where he had two promising seasons – crowned by the Belgian Golden Shoe and Belgian Footballer of the Year award. A loan stint with Borussia Mönchengladbach followed, with the club signing Thorgan on a permanent deal after he shone on loan.
After excelling for four seasons with Mönchengladbach, the 27-year-old now does what he does best at Dortmund, where he’s firmly established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most reliable wingers. In fact, the younger Hazard spends more time on the pitch nowadays than his elder sibling. Why he wasn’t given a chance to prove himself at Chelsea is anyone’s guess.
#2 Patrick van Aanholt
The promising youngster, who was a product of PSV’s much acclaimed academy, joined Chelsea back in 2007. While his talents as a left-back were never in question, there was just one problem – a certain Ashley Cole, who was undoubtedly one of the best in his position at the time.
And thus began a series of loans for van Aanholt, who was one of the first players Chelsea utilized the loan system for. A short loan to Coventry came first before stints at Newcastle United, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and finally Vitesse – which is where he came into his own as a player.
The Dutchman’s loan stint in his homeland turned out to be his last with Chelsea, who permanently sold him to Sunderland after featuring him in just 2 league matches and a handful of domestic and continental games. The 30-year-old is currently at Crystal Palace, where he’s developed into a key player and is currently on the radar of several top sides.
#1 Patrick Bamford
Patrick Bamford’s journey in football has been quite the roller coaster, with the forward even turning down a Harvard scholarship in order to make it big in the game he loves so much. The 27-year-old joined Chelsea from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £1.5 million back in 2012, signing a five-year contract, and was immediately put into the reserves.
However, Bamford’s time with the reserves didn’t last long, and he was sent on a series of fruitful loan spells with MK Dons, Derby County and Middlesbrough before less fulfilling stints with Crystal Palace, Norwich and Burnley. His time with Chelsea ended in 2017 when he rejoined Middlesbrough on a permanent basis without having made a single senior appearance for the Blues.
Bamford is currently thriving at Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, where he’s developed into one of the Premier League’s deadliest forwards after having fired the Yorkshire club to the Championship title last season. With Bamford also firmly knocking on England’s door before Euro 2020, it’s safe to say that his decision to make the grade in football has paid off.
