Turmoil at Chelsea is nothing new, but during the summer of 2023, it became the club's defining feature. A miserable 12th-place finish in the Premier League - the Blues' lowest in nearly 30 years - capped one of their most chaotic campaigns ever, even after Todd Boehly's astonishing £500million investment in fresh talent.
The American owner's dream of a rapid resurgence fell apart dramatically, leaving the squad overstuffed, the dressing room split, and morale at an all-time low - as interim boss Frank Lampard later highlighted. Internal friction grew, as players battled not just for starting positions but for locker space and a sense of stability, with many doubting their place in the club's future.
According to The Telegraph, no fewer than six squad members were eager to leave on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign. In the end, Chelsea offloaded a remarkable 15 players - ranging from club legends to forgettable signings - in a squad overhaul few would have dared predict. Here, football.london runs through them all.
The legends: Kante and Azpilicueta
Two of the club's most beloved and respected figures - N'Golo Kante and Cesar Azpilicueta - exited on free transfers following the end of their contracts. Kante, the relentless engine in midfield who helped power Chelsea to the 2016/17 league title and the Champions League in 2021, joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad.
His departure marked the end of an era for a player celebrated for his tireless work rate, defensive intelligence, and legendary humility. Meanwhile, Azpilicueta, the ever-reliable skipper who won every major competition during an 11-year stint, returned to Spain with Atletico Madrid.
Though both left on good terms, their absence left a gaping hole in leadership and experience, and even bigger holes in the hearts of supporters.
Cesar Azpilicueta applauds the fans ahead of his final match for Chelsea
Cesar Azpilicueta left Chelsea after 11 trophy-laden years in 2023 (Image: Getty Images)
The shock sales: Mount and Havertz
Arguably the most jaw-dropping moves came with the departures of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz - the duo that combined for Chelsea's Champions League final-winning goal just two years earlier. Mount, a Cobham academy product and lifelong Chelsea supporter, moved to Manchester United for £55m, a decision that left fans bewildered and upset.
The transfer, influenced by stalled contract talks and uncertainty about his role under new management, ignited fierce discussions about the club's treatment of homegrown stars. Havertz, meanwhile, made a cross-city switch to Arsenal in a £65m transfer.
Although the German's inconsistency was a point of criticism, his knack for delivering in crucial moments – most notably in Porto – made his sale, particularly to a domestic rival, a bitter pill to swallow. These deals exemplified the new owners' unsentimental and business-first strategy - which, in hindsight, may have been justified given Mount's recent fitness issues at Old Trafford, and Havertz's underwhelming performances as Arsenal's primary goal-getter.
Frank Lampard and Mason Mount
Mason Mount's Chelsea career came to an abrupt end in 2023 (Image: Getty Images)
The midfield reset: Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek
The reshuffling didn't stop there. Chelsea's midfield core was further depleted with the exits of Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Kovacic, a gifted dribbler and reliable performer since arriving in 2018, was sold to Manchester City for £25m.
Despite the irony of strengthening a direct competitor, Chelsea were keen to cash in before his contract expired. Loftus-Cheek, another product of the youth system, completed a £15m move to AC Milan after an injury-riddled and inconsistent tenure in west London.
These exits reflected Chelsea's pivot toward a younger, more dynamic midfield, with Enzo Fernandez already in place and big-money buys Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia soon to follow.
Mateo Kovacic
Mateo Kovacic was sold to Manchester City (Image: Getty)
The wide men: Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi
Once seen as cornerstones of Chelsea's attacking future, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi also made their exits. Pulisic, signed for £58m in 2019 to fill the void left by Eden Hazard, never truly found his rhythm at Stamford Bridge.
Persistent injuries and inconsistent form limited him to 26 goals in 145 games, and his £20m transfer to AC Milan felt like an amicable split. Hudson-Odoi, another academy graduate once tipped for greatness, joined Nottingham Forest for a mere £3m.
Under Nuno Espirito Santo, the winger has rediscovered his spark, making Chelsea's decision to let him go for so little look increasingly questionable. That said, whether he'd have been given the chance to shine had he stayed at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen.
Christian Pulisic acknowledges the fans
Chelsea cut ties with Christian Pulisic, who had largely failed to fill Eden Hazard's colossal shoes (Image: Getty Images)
The defensive departures: Mendy, Koulibaly, Ampadu
Among the significant names to leave were a trio from the back line. Edouard Mendy, a key figure in the 2021 Champions League triumph, joined Al-Ahli for £16m.
Though once a calming force between the posts, his form dipped dramatically, and with new signings arriving, his exit was inevitable. Kalidou Koulibaly, brought in for £33m as a marquee centre-back in 2022, also departed after just a single season.
Sold to Al-Hilal for £20m, Koulibaly's struggles to adapt to the English game typified the club's impatience with big-name signings. Ethan Ampadu, a young and adaptable defender who showed promise on loan, was sold to Leeds United for £7m - another move that chipped away at Chelsea's homegrown core.
Edouard Mendy
Edouard Mendy was kicked to the curb, two years after shining in Chelsea's Champions League-winning side (Image: Getty Images)
The forgotten men: Aubameyang, Bakayoko, Rahman
The summer clear-out also saw the departure of several players who had long been out of the club's plans. Tiemoue Bakayoko, signed for £40m in 2017 but seldom seen since, finally left on a free to Lorient. Baba Rahman, another ill-fated signing plagued by injury and repeated loans, joined PAOK with no fee involved.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure stood out as perhaps the most telling misjudgment of the Boehly era. Signed for £10.8m from Barcelona in 2022, he managed just three goals in 21 appearances.
His move to Marseille on a free summed up the erratic and often short-sighted nature of the club's recruitment – both in eras past and present.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Chelsea career was an unmitigated disaster (Image: Getty Images)
The loan exit: Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku's saga took yet another twist as the £97.5m striker was loaned to AS Roma. After returning to Chelsea in 2021 with enormous expectations, the Belgian managed just eight goals in 26 league appearances and fell out of favour following a public falling out with Thomas Tuchel.
Even after the German coach's exit, Lukaku made it clear he had no desire to wear the Chelsea shirt again. A last-minute loan deal was struck, which included a pay cut and a modest release clause designed to facilitate a permanent transfer down the line.
Romelu Lukaku in Chelsea training
Romelu Lukaku sealed another loan move away from Chelsea in 2023 before his eventual departure in 2024
The aftermath
The summer of 2023 wasn't just a reset - it was a seismic shift at the club. Offloading 15 players, including beloved legends, academy talents, and underperforming marquee buys, laid bare the chaos of Boehly's first year in charge.
While the mass exodus did free up wages and open the door for arrivals like Caicedo and Cole Palmer, it also left the team low on experience and grit. Still, progress has definitely been made in the last two years. Chelsea secured a top-four finish on the final day of the 2024/25 season, punching their ticket back to the Champions League.
Now, they stand poised to re-enter Europe's top competition - not as a team in transition, but as one ready to prove that the turbulence of 2023 was not only necessary but perhaps, in the end, the spark they needed to catapult themselves back towards the summit of world football.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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