4 Chelsea players who were wrongly sold

There are a lot of things that go into the making of a great player. When one competes at the highest level, talent is just the bare minimum. Often, a player needs the right environment to shine, the right guidance, the right mentality, the right coach and so on.

The football scout's task today is perhaps the toughest it has ever been. With the advancement of technology, the scout has a plethora of tools at his disposal. With goalkeepers commanding north of £50 million in transfer fees alone, it's safe to say that the margin for error for clubs in the transfer market today is very low.

Chelsea have been involved in their fair share of high profile transfer deals in recent history. Over the years, the Blues have struck gold in some transfers while some of them ended up being huge disappointments.

This part of Chelsea's business has been well documented with Fernando Torres and Andriy Shevchenko the most famous names that come to one's mind.

However, most frustrating for the club and fans alike has been the undoing their own good work in the transfer market. There have been multiple instances where a young promising player is acquired on the cheap and later on he has been flipped for a profit which now looks minuscule in the larger scheme of things.

Such short-termism has cost the club badly. More than the finances involved, it is the on-field impact that they could have had if they were integrated properly. This article features four players who Chelsea sold way too soon only to regret it later:

#4 Arjen Robben

The Dutch winger won plenty of hearts during his time with Chelsea

Arjen Robben joined Chelsea in 2004 from PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of £12 million. Part of the Jose Mourinho renaissance at Chelsea, the then 20-year-old lined up opposite Damien Duff on the wings as they terrorized premier league defences.

He won two back to back Premier League titles with Chelsea (2004-05 and 2005-06), two League Cups and one FA Cup.

Unfortunately, a big part of his time at Chelsea was fraught with injuries but whenever he took to the field, he dazzled. This was a big source of frustration for fans as well as Jose Mourinho. In 2007, the Dutch winger left Chelsea for Real Madrid.

After a total of 105 appearances and 19 goals to his name for Chelsea, he attained legendary status with Bayern Munich which followed after his brief time at Real Madrid. The winger will be leaving Bayern Munich marking a decade, after the end of this current season (2018-19).

Undoubtedly, he will be a difficult act to follow at the Allianz Arena.

Even though, tactical reasons and playing time played a part in his departure but often one his left to wonder, what could have been...

#3 Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku arrived at Chelsea from R.S.C. Anderlecht in 2011 as a teenager. The striker was as one of the hottest young prospects in Europe during that time and it was widely seen as a coup for the Blues.

After spending a season on the bench, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion and later on to Everton as the Belgian striker needed regular football for his growth.

Widely seen by Chelsea fans as the heir to Didier Drogba, he impressed in both of his loan spells, scoring a combined 33 goals. However, at the start of the 2014-15 season, the Belgian saw it difficult to find regular playing time with Diego Costa and Fernando Torres also vying for the lone striker role under Jose Mourinho.

Thus, an agreement was reached between Everton and Chelsea for the permanent transfer of Romelu Lukaku for a reported fee of £28 million.

He has since, gone on to become one of the deadliest strikers in Premier League as he earned a move Manchester United in 2017 after scoring an impressive 71 goals in 133 appearances for Everton. A deadly finisher with marauding physical ability and proven in Premier League - Chelsea could certainly do with a striker of such pedigree right now.

Lukaku became one of the most expensive strikers in the history of football after his move to Manchester United

Before his move to Manchester United, he was briefly linked with Chelsea only for the move to not happen. In the long scheme of things, it looks like Chelsea missed their chance with the Belgian hitman long before in 2014 itself.

#2 Kevin de Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne made only three appearances for the Blues

After starting his professional career with K.R.C. Genk, Kevin De Bruyne was one of the most coveted young prospects in Europe when Chelsea landed him in the winter transfer window of the 2011-12 season on the deadline day.

After spending the remainder of the season at Genk, he was loaned to Werder Bremen where he excelled and was voted as the Bundesliga Young Player of the year for the 2012-13 season.

The midfielder was widely expected to stake claim for a spot in Chelsea's squad at the beginning of the 2013-14 season but he featured only three times. The Belgian even started the first league game against Hull City, which marked Jose Mourinho's return as Chelsea's manager.

Soon after, he fell out of favour and departed the same season in January after securing a move to VfL Wolfsburg

De Bruyne's spell with Wolfsburg catapulted him into one of the best young attackers on the continent and he won the Bundesliga Player of the year for the season 2014-15. Chelsea's league rivals Manchester City then secured him in a £47 million pound deal (reported) during the 2015-16 season.

Ever since his arrival at the Etihad, De Brune has been a key figure in whatever success his club has accomplished

Now, 27-year-old, the Belgian has shown exactly why Chelsea were wrong in selling him as he now features among the best midfielders in the world. Currently, in his fourth season at Manchester City, he is an integral part of his side, managed by Pep Guardiola who broke every record as they marched to a historic Premier League title win.

During his second spell in England, he has scored 22 goals and registered 43 assists in the league.

A midfielder boasting of an excellent technique with a passing range second to none and providing a consistent goal threat will be a welcome addition any football team on this planet.

A current look at Chelsea's attacking options other than Eden Hazard would puzzle anyone as to how the Londoners let this mercurial talent leave.

#1 Mohamed Salah

Mohammad Salah scored his first Chelsea goal against Arsenal in a 6-0 hammering of the Gunners

Nobody in football has witnessed a bigger rise in their stock as the Liverpool sensation Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has captured every neutral's heart with the magnificent goalscoring form he's shown ever since joining the Merseyside club. Unfortunately for Chelsea, he's another one that got away.

Brought in after the departures of Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne in 2013-14 season's winter transfer window, he scored a couple of goals in thirteen appearances during his time at Chelsea. However, it was during his second season with Chelsea that he struggled for playing time and form and incurred the public wrath of his manager Jose Mourinho.

He was soon loaned to ACF Fiorentina with Juan Cuadrado coming the other way for Chelsea. After completing the season at Fiorentina, the winger moved on loan to AS Roma which was made permanent later. He enjoyed some stability at Rome and was even voted as AS Roma's player of the season for 2015-16.

Mohammad Salah is enjoying life at Liverpool

Fast forward to 2017- Liverpool secure the services of Mohammad Salah of fee amounting to €42 million. The Egyptian speedster scored a whopping 44 goals in 52 appearances for Liverpool last season (2017-18).

Along with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, he forms one of the most feared attacks in Europe of a formidable Liverpool squad managed by the German mastermind Jurgen Klopp.

Currently, Chelsea needs a player to complement Eden Hazard from the right-hand side who can cut in on his left foot and has a goal threat. Mohammad Salah is that player and more. The Chelsea thinktank could have saved millions that they now might splash for another such player.

Edited by Debjyoti Samanta