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Chelsea have been a revelation ever since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003. The Blues have seen a lot of success in the last two decades and look strong going forward.
The London club have had some fantastic players at their disposal, some of whom have gone on to become world-class. The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Petr Cech and many others have played for Chelsea and done wonders for the club.
Some world-class footballers regret leaving Chelsea
The Blues have had some demanding managers over the years and with those managers came world-class players. That being said, not every top player decided to settle permanently with Chelsea.
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Some of them went away from London and found success. However, few of the players regretted leaving Chelsea as well. On that note, let's have a look at those top players who should not have left the Blues:
#5 Joe Cole
Graduating from the West Ham United academy, Joe Cole was considered one of the hot young prospects during his young days. Manchester United were very keen on signing the Englishman when he was just 16.
Eventually Joe Cole developed with the Hammers before moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2003, becoming the sixth signing since Roman Abramovich's takeover. He was touted as the ideal replacement for the great Gianfranco Zola. With his flair, agility and amazing dribbling skills, the English midfielder was a delight to watch for the Blues. Speaking about his departure from Stamford Bridge, Cole stated:
I’d have taken any money they’d have given me because I didn’t want to leave. It was hard for me to leave the club at the time. It was difficult."
He won three Premier League titles with Chelsea before his contract expired in 2010 after which he signed for Liverpool. The struggle to renew his contract led to his departure, which Cole deeply regrets till date as his move to Merseyside was a big flop.
#4 Michael Ballack
The German was a very smart operator and one of the most technically gifted midfielders of his generation. With some amazing performances for both Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Michael Ballack impressed many.
This helped him earn a move to Chelsea in 2006 on a free transfer. Over time, the German maestro became a key member of the Blues. He won the Premier League with them and brought a lot of composure and intellect in the Blues' midfield. Enjoying his football in London, Ballack wanted to retire at Chelsea. He opened up on the whole episode and revealed:
"Carlo wanted me [to stay] but the club made a decision to only give players of that age a one-year contract. I wanted two. Today, I can say maybe it was wrong. I should have stayed, even for that one year."
But the Premier League club offered a one-year contract instead of the expected two and therefore Ballack decided to return to Bayer Leverkusen in 2010. He spent two years at the German club before retiring despite hoping that he would be playing in the final days of his career at Chelsea.
#3 Willian
Chelsea have had some fine Brazilian players play for them and Willian was an amazing servant to the club. The forward gave some fine performances with Shakhtar Donetsk and Anzhi Makhachkala, before signing for the Blues in 2013.
Willian is a very hardworking player, to say the least. His ability to play in different positions in attack and at the same time help the defense with his high work rate was of massive help. He played an instrumental role in helping Chelsea win two Premier League titles.
Last season, the Brazilian decided to join Arsenal and was left with regrets once he came to know that his compatriot Thiago Silva was going to join the Blues. It only got worse when the Blues went on to win the UEFA Champions League earlier this summer. It is true Willian would not have enjoyed an extended future at Chelsea anyway. But the Blues were still willing to give him a one-year extension, which he refused to sign.
Willian mustered just a single goal in 37 appearances across competitions for Arsenal during his stay at the Emirates. He now plies his trade with Corinthians in Brazil. Safe to say, things did not go according to plan for the winger.
#2 Damien Duff
Damien Duff attracted the attention of many clubs with his performances at Blackburn Rovers. It was in 2003 that the Irishman earned a move to Chelsea to play under Claudio Ranieri.
Unfortunately, the Italian manager was soon sacked and on came Jose Mourinho. Duff initially struggled to get regular game time but once he was given the chance by the Portuguese manager, he became a regular in the starting eleven. With Arjen Robben on one wing and Duff on the other, Chelsea were brutal in attack, winning back-to-back Premier League titles. The winger had this to say about his departure:
"I cried on the day that I left [Chelsea] – looking back, that probably should have told me I was making the wrong call, as I never cried when I left Blackburn, Newcastle or Fulham, or even when I retired. But it was my own decision."
In 2006, the Irish forward decided to join Newcastle United after achieving success with the Blues. Duff later accepted that it was the wrong call as his career did not flourish as much as it would have by staying at Chelsea.
#1 Eden Hazard
Like many other players, even Eden Hazard was a target for some of the top European clubs when he played for Lille. It was between Manchester United and Chelsea that the Belgian had to decide.
He eventually joined the Blues in 2012 in order to enhance his development and career. With his nimble footwork, smart dribbling and amazing ability to run past defenders, Hazard was a spectacular player in the Premier League. He won two league titles at Chelsea, with his best season coming in 2018-19, where he scored 16 goals and recorded 15 assists.
The following season the Belgian forward joined Real Madrid. Despite winning La Liga in his first season with Los Blancos, Hazard has had a torrid time with the Spanish giants.
He's yet to reach his best form with them and is struggling to perform consistently due to recurring injuries. Meanwhile, Chelsea have gone on to win the UEFA Champions League. Without the shadow of a doubt, Hazard regrets leaving Stamford Bridge.
