The turnover rate at Chelsea is second to none and in many cases they let go of burgeoning players in their academy who eventually turn out to be world-beaters.
Over the years, Chelsea have invested heavily into their academy with the hope of it being a pipeline to produce quality players into the first term.
However, when those players do not necessarily hit the ground running quickly, the Blues let them go to create space in the squad.
There is no team with a smooth record when it has to do with player incomings and outgoings.
Some clubs even pay exorbitant amounts for new players and others culpable of releasing star players before they fully develop.
The West London side have done many of such businesses, with the massive backing from former owner Roman Abrahmovic.
Chelsea appeared to have shifted their focus from academy talents to big name stars.
The era of Todd Boehly has also continued in that stead, poaching, hijacking and signing popular players.
The academy of Chelsea is widely respected across the world and it is regarded as one of the best in England.
However, the battle to secure a spot in the first team is really intense alongside the scarcity of places available.
That most times result in the Stamford Bridge side losing some talents due to the high competition for spaces.
It is very impossible to fit in all academy players due to the scarce spots available and the number of ambitions young players who are hungry for a shot at first team football.
Chelsea would be hoping that the 13 players they have released this summer wouldn’t go on to become great players.
5 Chelsea academy players who went on to flourish elsewhere
This article by Futballnews intends to reveal to you 5 players who have further their career away from the Bridge after they were let go and have ultimately blossomed.
1) Jamal Musiala
The German attacker has been one of the best youngsters in Europe in the past few seasons.
Musiala has scored 31 goals and provided 23 assists in 125 appearances for Bayern Munich.
He has made 23 appearances for the national team of Germany and he has scored one goal.
The career of the 20-year-old might have been a different story if he decided to remain in England rather than head for Germany.
Jamal Musiala was born in Germany but he grew up in England and was a youth player of Chelsea before he made the switch to Munich at the age of 16.
The young footballer wasn’t released by the Southwest London side but he decided to forge a different path when he couldn’t make it into the club’s first eleven.
2) Eddie Nketiah
The Englishman has been an Arsenal supporter right from his childhood days, but he represented Chelsea after they scouted him when he was 9 years old.
Nketiah spent seven years at Chelsea’s academy, however, he was released in 2015.
It was reported that the reason he was released was because he was considered to be too small.
The 24-year-old has scored 32 goals and provided 5 assists in 131 appearances for Arsenal.
Legendary Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has also given his thoughts on the forward.
Wenger on Eddie Nketiah
He said: “I don’t know what happened at Chelsea, he has scored goals at youth level and sometimes I don’t know why they let him go.
Wenger added: “You see that more and more. Young people travel from one club to another.”
3) Declan Rice
The man who is the rave of the moment and whose story might also have turned out differently if he remained at Stamford Bridge is Declan Rice.
Declan Rice was released from Chelsea’s academy at the tender age of 14, before he made tangible progress in his football career.
The 24-year-old was considered not good enough for a club like Chelsea.
Rice during an interview conducted a few years ago said: “I was like Bambi on ice – I was all over the place, My body just wasn’t used to itself, so I wasn’t running properly.”
The highly sought after midfielder has scored 15 goals and made 13 appearances in 245 appearances for West Ham United.
The England International was in the same age bracket as Mason Mount and Reece James, however, unlike his colleagues he didn’t remain to flourish at Chelsea.
He was nabbed by West Ham United, who are now on the verge of selling the midfielder for about £100 million.
4) Fikayo Tomori
Tomori joined Chelsea’s academy at the tender age of 7 in the year 2005.
The towering defender of AC Milan is also another man who couldn’t earn a starting shirt at Chelsea.
He was deemed surplus to requirements after a few seasons of trying to stake a claim at being a first team starter at Chelsea.
Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola Tomori made 17 appearances for Chelsea in total between 2016 till 2021.
He was afterwards sold to Milan in the summer of 2021 for an amount estimated to be about €28 million.
The England International has flourished since joining AC Milan and he helped the Italian giants win their first Serie A title in 11 years at the conclusion of 2021-2022 season.
The 25-year-old is a regular starter at the Italian outfit. He has made 107 appearances for AC Milan and scored 3 goals.
5) Tariq Lamptey
Lamptey joined Brighton on a three-and-a-half year deal after leaving Chelsea.
The switch to the Seagulls came after only three first team appearances for the club, however, it was evident that he had something off his sleeves.
His exit from the West London side was a surprise to the club and it was reported that Chelsea were “furious” to lose a valued homegrown talent.
The Blues had expected Lamptey to pen a new deal with the club but he opted to join Brighton.
Tariq Lamptey had been with Chelsea since he was 7, but he left the club as he felt Reece James was obstructing his chance at getting first team football.
In spite of battling injuries, the 22-year-old has played 77 games, scoring 2 goals and providing 7 assists for Brighton.
He made 20 appearances for the Seagulls last season and when fit, he provides something extra to Roberto Der Zerbi’s squad.
