Pochettino believes Chelsea are 'building something'
Chelsea’s last major trophy came in 2021 when Thomas Tuchel guided his side to a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League final. The Blues’ success in Porto came courtesy of their tactics and players willing to do the hard yards in order to prevent City from crafting clear-cut opportunities. However, Chelsea’s squad is unrecognisable now; Express Sport takes a look at where the stars who have left since the European triumph are playing now…
Kepa Arrizabalaga – After being given a second chance by Graham Potter, it quickly became clear that Kepa would not fulfil his potential at Chelsea and he joined Real Madrid on loan after the summer and has already spoken up a potential exit.
Willy Caballero – The Argentina international joined Southampton in 2021 and spent two years at the club before retiring. The ex-City star is now assistant manager of Leicester City.
Edouard Mendy – Having fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, the goalkeeper was granted an exit this summer and joined Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli in a deal worth £16million.
Antonio Rudiger – After contract extension negotiations collapsed, the defender joined Real Madrid in 2022 as a free agent. The centre-back has continued to impress at the Santiago Bernabeu and asserted himself as one of the best in the business.
Marcos Alonso – Another free agent departure. Alonso left Chelsea by mutual consent in 2022 and penned a contract with Barcelona days later, where he remains as a fringe player.
Andreas Christensen – The academy graduate surprisingly also left the club in favour of joining Barcelona in 2022. He has a £431million buyout clause at the Camp Nou and remains a key player in their backline.
Kurt Zouma – Despite playing a key role in Chelsea’s Champions League win, Zouma left the club to join West Ham that summer for £30m and tasted success with the Hammers last season when winning the European Conference League.
Cesar Azpilicueta – The club captain left the Blues over the summer to join Atletico Madrid as a free agent, having spent 11 seasons in the Premier League.
Emerson – Having spent the Champions League-winning season on loan at Lyon, the fullback joined West Ham that summer and continues to feature scarcely for David Moyes’ side.
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Jorginho – The Italian midfielder left Chelsea in January to join Arsenal for £12m, but the playmaker was unable to guide the club to Premier League glory. He has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates.
N’Golo Kante – Mauricio Pochettino was desperate for Kante to extend his contract with Chelsea, but ultimately negotiations were unsuccessful. The France international joined Al-Ittihad upon the expiration of his deal.
Mateo Kovacic – After four years at Chelsea, Kovacic left to join City after he threatened to enter the final 12 months of his contract with the Blues.
Mason Mount – Another player who was sold due to his contractual situation was Mount. Contract extension talks stalled last season and the England international consequently had his head turned by Manchester United.
Hakim Ziyech – The winger never met his potential at Chelsea and was granted a loan move to Galatasaray this summer.
Billy Gilmour – With no pathway to the first team under Tuchel, the Scotland international joined Brighton in 2022 and is developing into an important player at the Amex Stadium.
Kai Havertz – The German international struggled after his goal in the final in Porto and it was eventually ruled that an exit was the best-case scenario, with the ex-Bayer Leverkusen star joining Arsenal over the summer.
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Tammy Abraham – The England international was surprisingly sold after the Champions League final, joining Roma for £34m. The striker could return to Chelsea if his buy-back clause is activated, and his Serie A form certainly catches the eye.
Christian Pulisic – Injuries hampered the USA international’s spell in the Premier League and he was eventually granted an exit over the summer, joining AC Milan – where he has hit the ground running with four goals in eight appearances.
Timo Werner – Patience wore thin with Werner after the Champions League final. The Germany international continued to struggle in front of goal and after another lacklustre campaign, he re-joined RB Leipzig.
Olivier Giroud – The France international left the club in 2021, months after his contract at Stamford Bridge was extended. Giroud joined AC Milan and continues to lead the line for the Serie A giants, scoring plenty of goals and being a positive influence on and off the pitch.
Callum Hudson-Odoi – After an underwhelming loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen last season, Chelsea sold the academy graduate this summer for £5m (including add-ons) to Nottingham Forest.
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