The incredible XI of players sold by Chelsea

Not many clubs have seen the turnover of players that Chelsea have in recent years. It has been all change at Stamford Bridge in the 15 years since Roman Abramovich took over at the club, and it has been 'win at all cost' ever since.

Of course, Abramovich isn’t a man known for his patience, especially with managers. However, he has backed them an awful lot over the years, maybe not in terms of the time he has given them, but in terms of the money, he has invested in new players for every manager who has sat in the hot seat.

There have been some excellent buys in that period of time. Didier Drogba is one in particular that springs to mind, as does that of Eden Hazard. There have also been some real bargains picked up in that period as well, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill both moving to Chelsea for less than £10 million.

There is no denying that there have been a few shockers over that period as well. Fernando Torres and Andriy Shevchenko were both big money buys, but neither of them hit the heights at Stamford Bridge, and despite the occasional moment here or there, will go down as a failure.

There have been others that have slipped through the net though. Sometimes Chelsea have found the right time to sell off players, but others they have let go far too early, and they may look back with regret. Here is a team made up of players Chelsea allowed to leave the club.

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Goalkeeper- Thibaut Courtois

Courtois won two Premier League titles with the Blues

This one is still fresh in the memory for Chelsea fans. The Belgian spent seven years as a Chelsea player, after initially making the move from Genk in 2011. He spent three years out on loan at Atletico Madrid though, during which he established himself as one of Europe’s top goalkeepers. He returned to Chelsea to take over Petr Cech as the Blues’ number one and went on to win two Premier League titles. However, he made no secret of his desire to move back to Spain and joined Real Madrid for £35 million this summer.

Defender- Ryan Bertrand

Although he didn’t appear too much in the Chelsea first team during his time at Stamford Bridge, Bertrand started perhaps the biggest game in the club’s history. The Englishman was the surprise selection on the left-wing in the 2012 Champions League final, in the process becoming the first man to make his Champions League debut in the final. After loan moves with Aston Villa and Southampton, he joined the Saints permanently in 2015 and has gone on to become one of England’s best-left backs.

Defender- Nathan Ake

Ake never really made the grade at Chelsea

There is a real chance that in a few years’ time, Chelsea may look back on this as one that got away. Ake moved to Chelsea at the age of 16 and spent a number of years at Chelsea learning his trade. He looked like the real deal during an initial loan to Bournemouth in 2016, to such an extent that Chelsea chose to recall him in January. However he didn’t get too much first team action on his return to Stamford Bridge, and that convinced him that his future laid away from Chelsea. He re-joined Bournemouth in summer 2017 for a fee of £18 million and has been a key player for the Cherries ever since.

Defender- Filipe Luis

Luis’ story is one of a man whose time at Chelsea didn’t really work out. He made the move to Chelsea in 2014, as Jose Mourinho made huge strides to building a title-winning side, with Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa also moving to London that summer. Luis though struggled to make an impact at Chelsea and often found himself behind Cesar Azpilicueta in the pecking order. He made just 15 league appearances in his solitary season with the Blues, and despite being part of a title-winning team, returned to Atletico at the end of the season.

Midfielder- Juan Cuadrado

Cuadrado made just 15 Premier League appearances

Cuadrado has enjoyed an awful lot of success in Italy over his career, but it was a completely different story during his time with Chelsea. Having moved to Stamford Bridge in January 2015, Cuadrado finished his season with a Premier League winners’ medal to his name, but returned to Italy on loan in the summer, moving on loan to Juventus. There was a thought that he would get another go at Chelsea when Antonio Conte took over, but it wasn’t to be, and he returned to Juventus and made that move permanent in 2017.

Midfielder- Juan Mata

Mata was a huge success during his time at Chelsea. Having moved to the Blues from Valencia in 2011, he went on to win the Champions League, the Europa League, and the FA Cup in his spell with the club. He was a superb addition for Chelsea and was a favourite among supporters. However, he wasn’t required under Jose Mourinho when he returned to the club in 2013, and he moved on to Manchester United for a fee of £37.1 million, where ironically, he was later joined by Mourinho.

Midfielder- Nemanja Matic

Matic has had two spells with Chelsea

Matic was another man who moved on to Manchester United when his time at Chelsea came to an end, but unlike Mata, he followed Mourinho to Old Trafford. The Serbian midfielder actually had two spells with the Blues. The first ended when he moved to Benfica as part of an exchange to bring David Luiz to Chelsea. His second spell was much more successful, as he was involved in two Premier League title-winning sides, before being reunited with his former manager at United.

Midfielder- Kevin de Bruyne

Of all the players Chelsea have sold over the years, they will regret none more than the sale of de Bruyne. They signed the Belgian from Genk in 2012 but sent him out for a season on loan at Werder Bremen, where he first began to show the signs of being a top player. However, after becoming frustrated with a lack of first team action, he left Chelsea and moved to German side Wolfsburg. He later moved on to Manchester City, where he established himself as one of the top midfielders in world football.

Attacker- Mohamed Salah

Salah was initially signed as a replacement for Juan Mata

Yet another man who Chelsea will regret letting go when they did, Salah has gone on to become a top class player since leaving Chelsea in 2016. The Egyptian was another man who grew frustrated with a lack of action under Mourinho, so had loan spells in Italy with Fiorentina, and then Roma. He made that move to Roma permanent in 2016, but was only there for another year, before returning to England with Liverpool. With Liverpool, he reached the Champions League final, and broke the record for the most goals in a 38-game season.

Attacker- Diego Costa

There hasn’t been anyone in football who’s more of a marmite figure than Diego Costa. Some love him, some hate in, but the truth is, every football fan on the planet wants a player like Costa in their side. The striker spent three seasons with Chelsea, during which he won two Premier League titles, and scored 59 goals in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, his time with the Blues ended in controversial fashion, when he returned to Atletico after being told he wasn’t part of part of Antonio Conte’s plans by text.

Attacker- Romelu Lukaku

The third member of this XI who has ended up at Manchester United. Lukaku joined Chelsea back in 2011 when they won the race for the youngster and paid Anderlecht £18 million for his services. He made very few appearances for the Blues in his debut campaign and was later sent out on loan to West Brom, then Everton. It was Mourinho who sold Lukaku to Everton in 2014 for £28 million. Clearly, Mourinho recognised his mistake and re-signed the Belgian last year, but this time as Manchester United manager, in a deal worth £75 million.