Chelsea FC’s January Splurge is not paying dividends as the Blues capitulated against Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League. Goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio were enough to secure a 2-0 victory for the defending champions.
A victory for Los Blancos was never in doubt against a Chelsea side that hasn’t quite lived up to its billing as they are currently sitting 11th in the Premier League.
However, as their struggles continue, Bolanews looks at the top five stars that left Chelsea and have gone on to shine elsewhere.
NATHAN AKE
The young Dutch defender caught the attention of Chelsea scouts while playing for Feyenoord in 2011.
He became a Blue and moved to the senior squad a year later.
Ake was part of the Chelsea squad that won the Premier League title in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge. But only made two appearances during the entire 2016/17 league campaign.
What followed were loan spells at Reading, Watford, before finally getting signed permanently at Bournemouth where he found a home and became a star for the Cherries.
Ake played over 100 times in the Premier League before Manchester City signed him in 2020.
Currently, at the Etihad, he has helped Guardiola’s City to two Premier League title wins.
DECLAN RICE
The England international is said to have Blue blood running through his veins and played for their academy. He was at Chelsea from 2006 to 2014.
After failing to break through at Stamford, he continued his dream of becoming a top-class footballer.
Eventually, he was snapped up by West Ham and has since become a star for the Hummers.
He broke into their first team at the end of the 2016-17 season. His exploits have continued to attract interest from Arsenal and Manchester United.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE
Regarded as the best midfielder since Xavi, Kevin De Bruyne was a misfit at Chelsea. The Belgian who was signed from Genk failed to be a regular at Stanford Bridge.
He was loaned out to Werder Bremen, before being sold to Wolfsburg for just £16.7m.
Since his return to the Premier League with Manchester City back in 2015, De Bruyne has continued to illustrate his class. He’s been an integral part of the club’s greatest era, winning four Premier League titles with the Cityzens.
MOHAMED SALAH
Signed from Basel back in 2014, Salah played 13 times in the Premier League for the Blue In 2015 and 2016
The Egyptian was loaned out to Fiorentina and Roma before joining the latter permanently in a deal worth around £11m.
After just one season in the Italian capital, Liverpool brought Salah back to the Premier League in a deal worth £36.7m.
He is now one of the world’s most clinical forwards and for Blues faithful, he is one of the greats that got away.
He has won the Premier League, Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup once with Liverpool since his return to England.
TARIQ LAMPTEY
The full-back is another one that got away after his departure from Chelsea in 2020.
The Ghanian joined their academy aged just eight with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Reece James.
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Lamptey was forced to leave Chelsea in order to take his career to the next level.
Lamptey was promoted to the Blues’ first team in 2019 but got frustrated with a lack of game time under Frank Lampard. He later joined Brighton and Hove Albion and has continued to be a starter for the side.
