Chelsea: 3 players Chelsea might regret selling this season

Chelsea have been the team to watch in the transfer market this season. The Blues have arguably been the most active when it comes to player ins and outs. However, this season, the pattern has been slightly different with more of a focus on selling players.

Last season saw the then-new owner Todd Boehly splurge lavishly in a bid to strengthen the side. A total of €611 million was spent across the summer and winter transfer windows. Star names such as Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Raheem Sterling and many others were signed.

However, it was a relatively disappointing season for the Stamford Bridge outfit. They finished in a scarcely believable 12th place in the Premier League while not managing even to land any trophy. Two managerial sackings of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter did little to help as Frank Lampard returned on an interim basis.

Nonetheless, a look at Chelsea's squad when the season ended just pointed to one thing, i.e. it was excessively bloated, with too many players in each position. Add to that a number of players returning from their loan spells. It was clear that if the club, under the new appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, had to reshape the side, they would have to get rid of a bulk of the players.

So began a selling spree with several star names who were on big wages. While some of the moves made sense, such as Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and others who looked past their prime or became injury prone. Chelsea have also been smart in reinvesting the money from sales into new signings such as Axel Disasi, Nicholas Jackson and Robert Sanchez. That means Chelsea have a profit even after spending a hefty amount as things stand.

However, some of the exits have been quite puzzling for several reasons. Below we take a look at three such names Chelsea might regret selling this season.

#1 Mateo Kovacic - Machester City

Mateo Kovacic has always been a reliable performer for Chelsea since his arrival from Real Madrid. The Croatian was a crucial part of the midfield at Stamford Bridge under Thomal Tuchel. His silky touches, free-flowing passing and an audacious eye for goal made him a sure starter.

Granted that Kovacic is 29 years of age but selling him to a rival like Manchester City for a paltry sum of €29.1 million, hardly makes any sense. Pep Guardiola knows how to take the best out of players and a technically-gifted midfielder like Kovacic will only flourish under the Spaniard's treble winning side and add to their quality.

#2 Mason Mount - Manchester United

Manchester United v Olympique Lyonnais - Pre-Season Friendly

One of the brightest talents to come out of Cobham, Mason Mount was symbolic of Chelsea's nurturing of academy players under Frank Lampard back in 2019. The English midfielder grew in stature over the last few seasons and became an undroppable starter in the side when Tuchel succeeded Lampard.

His energetic performances in the middle of the park landed Chelsea the Champions League title in 2021 where he assisted in the final. However, Mount's contract hardly reflected his importance to side while the club ran down the length of the same. Chelsea left it too late last season in a bid to agree an extension and it seemed all but sure that Mount was set to leave his boyhood club.

Manchester United, after numerous rounds of negotiations over the transfer fee, managed to pry away the player. A deal of €64.2 million can be termed as a good coup for Chelsea for a player who had just a year remaining on his contract. Regardless, Mount adds value to Manchester United's side that is improving under Erik ten Hag. His commitment and attitude will surely be a miss at Chelsea and a welcome addition at their rivals.

#3 Kai Havertz - Arsenal

Kai Havertz was among the new batch of arrivals back in 2020. The former Bayer Leverkusen man has always been tipped to be the next big thing in Europe and even showed flashes of that brilliance at Stamford Bridge. Havertz might have struggled to score frequently but a Champions League final winning goal against Manchester City in 2021 made him a fan favourite.

The problem with the German was figuring out which position suited him the best. Tuchel and Potter tried their best to give him chances as a number 9, false-nine, out wide, as a No. 10 but to little effect. His numbers reflected the same with 32 goals and 15 assists across all competitions in three full seasons.

Rather surprisingly, the club took the decision to let their start midfielder leave and that too, for their arch-rivals Arsenal. Recouping €75 million was perhaps the only positive Chelsea can take from the transfer as Havertz has looked good in the preseason for Mikel Arteta's side. Should the German prove to be the missig link in Arsenal's title bid, the Blues will feel the sting of it a bit too much.

Edited by Shardul Sant