Chelsea have spent over £600million on players this season, but we’ve investigated what’s become of those that left Stamford Bridge last year.
After finishing third and losing both domestic cup finals, the west Londoners had something of a clear-out under the ownership of Todd Boehly.
And we’ve revisited the 13 players that Chelsea let go in 2022 and checked out how they’ve fared since. Note: we have only included players that have made at least one first-team appearance for Chelsea.
Antonio Rudiger
Nobody at Stamford Bridge wanted Rudiger to leave, but the expiry of his contract meant the popular centre-back moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
He’s made 36 appearances for the Spanish and European champions this season, earning the respect of Carlo Ancelotti in the process, and also participated at the 2022 World Cup with Germany.
About his only faux pass was his Monty Python-esque walk during the defeat to Japan. We miss him.
🤨 “If you saw Rudiger…he outpaced someone and gave it the horse kicking legs!”
👀 “I thought: ‘There was no need for that!’ And boy did it come back to bite him.”
🇯🇵 “It was beautiful to see Japan win!”
Ally McCoist slams #GER’s Rudiger for running like a horse vs #JPN 🐎 pic.twitter.com/fZm9vKqLx1
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) November 24, 2022
Andreas Christensen
Christensen’s contract also expired last summer, much to the dismay of Boehly who has vowed never to repeat the mistake, and the Denmark international moved to Barcelona.
Forming a solid partnership with Ronald Araujo in the heart of defence, Christensen is part of a Barcelona backline that has conceded just eight goals in 25 La Liga matches. That’s insane.
Jake Clarke-Salter
After making his Chelsea debut in a Premier League win over Aston Villa in 2016, earning the praise of John Terry afterwards, Clarke-Salter made just two more appearances for his boyhood club.
The midfielder was loaned out on five occasions, including the Cobham youth staple destination of Vitesse, before joining QPR on a permanent basis last summer.
Clarke-Salter has made 11 appearances for his new club without scoring. Perhaps he’d fare better if QPR weren’t such a basket case right now.
Danny Drinkwater
“My time at Chelsea has come to an end, actually feels really strange writing this,” Drinkwater posted on Instagram after the end of his ill-fated Chelsea spell.
“Injuries, how I have been treated, mistakes I have made, issues off the pitch, lack of game time; the list of excuses could be endless but I would not and can not change what’s happened.
“Football’s a fantastic sport but this for both parties was a business move gone wrong, it’s as black and white as that.
“To the Chelsea fans I apologise for how this has turned out. I would have loved for you to see me at my best in that shirt doing what I love.”
The former Manchester United and Leicester midfielder remains unattached.
Charly Musonda
In November 2021, Musonda announced that he wouldn’t renew his contract with Chelsea after making just seven appearances for the club since joining as a youngster nine years previously.
The attacking midfielder moved to Levante, where he played his first professional game in over 1000 days after a long period of injury pain.
He’s made six appearances for the Segunda Division side without scoring, but Levante remain in the hunt for promotion to La Liga.
READ: The 9 players Chelsea signed along with Eden Hazard & how they fared
Matt Miazga
After five loan spells away from Chelsea, taking in five different countries en route, Miazga returned to his native USA and signed for FC Cincinnati on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
He made 12 appearances for his new side in the 2022 season, scoring twice as his new club finished 10th in the MLS standings, and has started each of Cincinnati’s three games of the new campaign.
Timo Werner
After a difficult two years at Chelsea, Werner was sold back to RB Leipzig at a loss of over £20million.
“I had a very good first six months at Chelsea, which was what the supporters and club expected of me. I scored the goals and played good games,” Werner said in an interview with The Sun.
“When you come from the kind of success I had in Germany or with Chelsea — playing nearly every game in the first season, winning the Champions League in 2021, scoring in the semi-final against Real Madrid, making a lot of goals.
“Then all this gets a little bit forgotten by the manager, it was not really fair. That was also a reason I had to move back to Leipzig, to get the enjoyment again. I didn’t feel that any more but you need it to be successful.
“Maybe yes, in the end I just wanted out.”
He’s scored seven times and provided two assists in the Bundesliga since his return, while notching another two strikes in the Champions League.
READ: 18 Chelsea signings who were meant to be the business… but weren’t
Ross Barkley
Barkley became the forgotten man of Stamford Bridge after his alarming fall from contention, and it was no surprise to see his contract terminated last August.
The former England international made the surprise move to Nice, where a host of former Premier League stars have congregated in search of the good life, and Barkley has scored three times in 20 appearances for the Ligue 1 club.
Marcos Alonso
Alonso switched Chelsea for Barcelona last summer, ending his six-year spell with the club after 212 appearances.
While the left-back has performed well in Spain, even scoring against Manchester United in a Europa League tie last month, the transfer itself has become shrouded in controversy.
Spanish fourth division side Union Adarve, who Alonso represented as a youth player, are now claiming that they should have received £91,000 (€103,000) as part of the deal.
According to AS, Union Adarve have evidence of the two clubs previously negotiating for Alonso and the matter has now been reported to FIFA for fraud. Oof.
Emerson Palmieri
West Ham’s transfer business last summer was nothing short of underwhelming, but Emerson has proved something of a success in east London.
Leaving Chelsea after being unable to dislodge Ben Chilwell from the left-back position, the Italy international has made 23 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions.
And Emerson scored against his former employers during a 1-1 draw in February. Not bad for £15million.
Emerson equalises for West Ham against his former club! ⚽
Great flick from Jarrod Bowen and he’s in the right place at the right time! 💥 pic.twitter.com/V7GhwZrQqh
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 11, 2023
Billy Gilmour
Spare a thought for Gilmour, who left Chelsea to work under Graham Potter at Brighton just days before Potter made the move in the opposite direction to Stamford Bridge.
The Scotland international has been starved of first-team football at the AMEX, making just 10 appearances for Brighton this year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the midfielder chose to move again in the near future.
Kenedy
Another perennial loanee, Kenedy finally cut himself loose from Chelsea’s apron strings by moving to Valladolid on a permanent basis last summer.
But the winger has made just five appearances for the La Liga side this year. Perhaps a loan would sort him out…
Michy Batshuayi
Despite scoring the goal that clinched Chelsea’s last Premier League title, Batshuayi never felt like a good fit for the Premier League giants.
After numerous loan spells away, the striker finally left the club and joined Fenerbahce for an undisclosed fee. He’s scored 15 times in 24 appearances for the Turkish club and also notched Belgium’s only goal of the 2022 World Cup.
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