Chelsea have been brilliant sellers under this ownership, but the volume of departures means there’s always a chance of losing out.
Fans have become accustomed to Chelsea’s transfer antics, with players linked to and from the club on an almost-daily basis.
But in amongst all the traffic, some players are dealt with prematurely, as evidenced by what they go on to do elsewhere.
A great example of this comes in the form of a Chelsea reject who has lit up the Serie A this season, raising questions over the decision to let him leave Stamford Bridge.
Christian Pulisic’s post-Chelsea revival
Christian Pulisic signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 for £58 million, and spent four seasons at Chelsea before being sold to AC Milan for a significant loss.
While at Stamford Bridge, the American made 145 appearances, totting up 26 goals and 17 assists, crowned by a brilliant stretch of form in Chelsea’s Champions League-winning campaign.
Pulisic was by no means a superstar, but he wasn’t a bad player either, and what he has gone on to do in Serie A might have Chelsea ruing their decision to sell.
Since making the switch to Italy, Pulisic has been a revelation.
In two seasons with the Rossoneri, the 27-year-old has managed 52 goal contributions across two seasons, more than he managed in his entire Chelsea career.
And this season has been even better, with Pulisic already at six goals and two assists in eight games, earning him Player of the Month in Serie A.
Chelsea might have jumped the gun with Pulisic
This isn’t an attempt to rewrite history. Pulisic’s last season with Chelsea was nowhere near good enough.
But it was a season in which Chelsea were abysmal, finishing 12th in the Premier League. Four different managers were at the helm during that write-off of a season, and Pulisic was a casualty of the club’s restructuring.
Chelsea v West Ham United - Premier League
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But take that campaign out of it, and it doesn’t look so bad — double digits for goal involvements in each of the three seasons prior.
Since then, no one has come in and staked their claim for that left-wing role. Chelsea have looked to youth, but they lack consistency and maturity. Pulisic’s £150,000 per week wage wasn’t sucking the club’s finances dry like others who were put on the chopping block.
There was always talent there, and since moving to Milan, it has flourished. The Italian giants will be thinking they got away with murder at a fee of £18 million.