Chelsea are well-known for hoovering up potential stars and hoarding young players, either to bring into their own side, or more likely, to sell on.
The Blues have sent seemingly endless numbers of fresh-faced youngsters on loan to Vitesse Arnhem over the years, while their own academy has produced some too.
Having such a volume of youngsters on the go at once means the probability of fostering some duds increases. Not all turn into world class players and take to scoring goals for your rivals like Kevin De Bruyne.
Over time, Chelsea have been able to look over some of their released youngsters and give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done.
The Blues have sent seemingly endless numbers of fresh-faced youngsters on loan to Vitesse Arnhem over the years, while their own academy has produced some too.
Having such a volume of youngsters on the go at once means the probability of fostering some duds increases. Not all turn into world class players and take to scoring goals for your rivals like Kevin De Bruyne.
Over time, Chelsea have been able to look over some of their released youngsters and give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done.
Franco Di Santo
Position: Striker
Nationality: Argentinian
Current club: Schalke
Fee sold for: £2 million to Wigan Athletic
Di Santo was snapped up from Chilean club Audax Italiano after scoring six goals in one Copa Libertadores match, but he never reached such heights in two years with Chelsea.
Reserve team goals were as good as it got as the hype faded and in 2010 Roberto Martinez decided it was wise to bring him to Wigan. A meagre 13 goals and eventual relegation from the Premier League followed.
He’s carved out a career in Germany with Werder Bremen and Schalke, but Chelsea won’t be ruing his loss.
Reserve team goals were as good as it got as the hype faded and in 2010 Roberto Martinez decided it was wise to bring him to Wigan. A meagre 13 goals and eventual relegation from the Premier League followed.
He’s carved out a career in Germany with Werder Bremen and Schalke, but Chelsea won’t be ruing his loss.
Josh McEachran
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Brentford
Fee sold for: £750,000 to Brentford
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Brentford
Fee sold for: £750,000 to Brentford
McEachran was for a long while the great hope. The deep-lying midfielder was drastically over-hyped, compared to greats and suffered the fall-out.He made just 15 first-team appearances for Chelsea and five separate loan spells tells of a player struggling to find his level. The fact that he only left the club in 2015 suggests perseverance, but the Championship seems a better fit.
Jacob Mellis
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Bury
Fee sold for: Free to Barnsley
Chelsea obviously saw something in Mellis, because they forked out £1 million to buy him from Sheffield United way back in 2007, but whatever it was it is yet to materialise.
He made one substitute appearance for the first team before setting off a smoke genade in the club’s training ground, sparking a full-scale evacuation and a P45. A list of clubs reading Barnsley, Blackpool, Oldham and Bury suggests they haven’t missed much.
He made one substitute appearance for the first team before setting off a smoke genade in the club’s training ground, sparking a full-scale evacuation and a P45. A list of clubs reading Barnsley, Blackpool, Oldham and Bury suggests they haven’t missed much.
Billy Clifford
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Boreham Wood
Fee sold for: Free to Walsall
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Boreham Wood
Fee sold for: Free to Walsall
One of a rare breed of Chelsea academy products, Clifford never managed a single first team appearance for the Blues. Unspectacular loan spells at Colchester, Yeovil Town and Royal Antwerp tell a story.
Clifford was Mellis’ smokey partner in crime and escaped with a fine after admitting buying the device. He lasted two more anonymous years before being let go to Walsall.
Clifford was Mellis’ smokey partner in crime and escaped with a fine after admitting buying the device. He lasted two more anonymous years before being let go to Walsall.
Scott Sinclair
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Aston Villa
Fee sold for: £500,000 to Swansea
Position: Midfielder
Nationality: English
Current club: Aston Villa
Fee sold for: £500,000 to Swansea
Sinclair’s Chelsea career doesn’t add up to much: six loan spells and just into double figures for appearances at his parent club. He scored a single goal in the blue shirt and laid on Frank Lampard’s 100th.
He is clearly talented. His form at Swansea was impressive, with 37 goals in 91 appearances across all competitions, but Manchester City’s bench and relegation with Aston Villa were to follow.
He is clearly talented. His form at Swansea was impressive, with 37 goals in 91 appearances across all competitions, but Manchester City’s bench and relegation with Aston Villa were to follow.
Fabio Borini
Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Current club: Sunderland
Fee sold for: Free to Parma
Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Current club: Sunderland
Fee sold for: Free to Parma
It all looked very promising for Borini to begin with: top scorer for the reserves, progression to first team squad, debut. But eight appearances across all competitions was as far as he got.
Parma took him on a free transfer, but now 25 he’s struggled to score goals in Italy and England and has gone from frustrated figure at Liverpool to frustrated figure at Sunderland.
Parma took him on a free transfer, but now 25 he’s struggled to score goals in Italy and England and has gone from frustrated figure at Liverpool to frustrated figure at Sunderland.
Miroslav Stoch
Position: Winger
Nationality: Slovakian
Current club: Bursaspor
Fee sold for: £4.4 million to Fenerbache
Position: Winger
Nationality: Slovakian
Current club: Bursaspor
Fee sold for: £4.4 million to Fenerbache
Stoch made five first team appearances for the Blues after being spotted by a scout playing in Slovakia. Replacing Deco to make your Premier League debut is a tough ask and so it proved.
He was offloaded to Fenerbache in 2010 and besides a wonderful volley which won FIFA’s Puskas award for 2012, they haven’t missed out on an awful lot.
He was offloaded to Fenerbache in 2010 and besides a wonderful volley which won FIFA’s Puskas award for 2012, they haven’t missed out on an awful lot.
Carlton Cole
Position: Striker
Nationality: English
Current club: West Ham
Fee sold for: £2.25 million to West Ham
Position: Striker
Nationality: English
Current club: West Ham
Fee sold for: £2.25 million to West Ham
It is a long time back, but having seen all Cole has had to offer in 10 years, it’s unlikely Chelsea are kicking themselves for letting the big front man go in 2006.
Cole has proved an effective battering ram and is valued at the Hammers, but the Blues didn’t miss him in as they chased Premier League and Champions League titles.
Cole has proved an effective battering ram and is valued at the Hammers, but the Blues didn’t miss him in as they chased Premier League and Champions League titles.
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