5 players that clubs regret selling

#2 Kevin De Bruyne (Chelsea > Wolfsburg)

If Sturridge’s departure wasn’t bad enough, the sale of Kevin De Bruyne to Wolfsburg back in 2014 is sure to make the Blues faithful frustrated.

The writing was on the wall from the second the Belgian arrived from Genk back in 2012 for £7 million. Upon arrival De Bruyne announced, "To come to a team like Chelsea is a dream but now I have to work hard to achieve the level that's necessary."

There were indications here of the midfielder’s unprecedented work ethic, yes, but also of the quality the London club already had available to them.

With Juan Mata having already nailed down the No. 10 role and an improving Oscar first in line to supersede the Spaniard, De Bruyne couldn’t worm his way into the starting XI. A brief respite from his relegation to the bench came in a sound loan spell with Werder Bremen, where he scored 10 times in 33 matches. But there was little recognition when he returned to the English capital.

An agitated De Bruyne concluded his Chelsea career with a £17 million switch to Wolfsburg. While the Blues would be happy with the profit made from the deal at the time, they did not forecast such a superb turn-around in the Belgian’s fortunes.

Following an impressive debut season, in which the now 24-year-old bagged 10 goals and 6 assists, De Bruyne spearheaded his side’s eventual second-place finish in Germany’s top-flight. Such pulsating form earned him a bumper move to Manchester City this past transfer window, and ever since then, De Bruyne has set the EPL alight.