If we learned anything this January Transfer Window, it’s that Chelsea are a ruthless mother-f'ing juggernaut of a football club that happily chews up the brightest talent before defecating it out the Stamford Bridge back passage (both literally and figuratively). Well, maybe we didn't so much learn it as have it reconfirmed.
Both Andre Schurrle and Ryan Bertrand were ushered out of West London last week without ever having been afforded an opportunity to prove themselves, like so many young prospects before them. The acquisition and subsequent discarding of A1 talent has become Chelsea’s modus operandi, so The18 decided to pull together a "Chelsea Rejects XI." This isn’t a team of former Chelsea alumni riding off into the twilight of their careers; these are some of the finest footballers on the planet who were shooed out of Stamford Bridge approaching, or at the peak of, their physical capabilities. This is a team that could tear up nearly any elite league in Europe, but were surplus to Abramovich’s exacting requirements.
We’ve gone for a 4-4-2 diamond formation to best utilize the ridiculous amount of talent at our disposal. How many of these players wouldn’t you want in your team?
Striker: Daniel Sturridge (25 years old)
Sturridge was brought to Stamford Bridge as a 20-year-old and lasted three seasons with Chelsea. He made 63 appearances for the Blues, played largely out of position, and scored just 13 goals.
Since leaving Chelsea – first for Bolton on loan and then permanently to Liverpool – Sturridge has scored 41 goals in 59 appearances, as well as five for England. It’s fair to say he’s not missed the Bridge.
Photo:@TheBluesTalk | Twitter
Striker: Arjen Robben (31)
Chelsea signed Robben in 2004, when the Dutch flyer was just 20 years old. Despite achieving great success in his three years with the club, Robben was duly sold to Real Madrid in 2007.
Since he left West London, Robben has won La Liga, the Bundesliga thrice, the Champions League (as well as two finals appearances), the World Club Cup and appeared in the 2010 World Cup final. He’s scored 67 goals in 121 appearances for Bayern Munich.
Attacking Midfield: Juan Mata (25)
Juan Mata joined Chelsea at the start of the 2011-12 campaign, and in two-and-a-bit seasons at Stamford Bridge he won the FA Cup, the Champions League, the Europa League and was named Chelsea’s Player of the Year two seasons in a row. It’s no exaggeration to say that Mata was Chelsea’s maestro.
But Jose Mourinho didn’t like him, so he was dumped (admittedly in exchange for £37m).
Photo: @ChelseaChadder | Twitter
Midfield: Andre Schurrle (24)
Signed just 18 months ago as one of the brightest talents from Germany’s embarrassment of riches, Andre Schurrle managed a goal every other game from midfield during his brief stint with Chelsea. What’s more, he’s a World Cup winner, scoring three goals (all from the bench) en route to the final.
Why did Chelsea let him go? Excellent question.
Midfield: Kevin de Bruyne (23)
Another of Europe’s brightest prospects snapped up by Roman Abramovich and stifled at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea signed de Bruyne as a teenager and afforded him just three senior appearances before selling him to Wolfsburg at the start of this season.
How’s he getting on? Very nicely indeed, thank you very much: 11 assists and 6 goals in 19 Bundesliga appearances, including the orchestration of Wolfsburg’s 4-1 dismantling of Bayern Munich last weekend, attest to the qualities that Chelsea apparently didn’t require.
Unsurprisingly, they’re rumored to be readying a bid to take him back to Stamford Bridge. It wouldn’t be the first time…
Defensive Midfield: Nemanja Matic (26)
Matic has been the glue which has held Chelsea’s defensive wall together this season, doing the hard work so John Terry and Gary Cahill don’t have to. But three years before The Blues signed the 26-year-old for £21m last January, they sold him PLUS £21m to Benfica in exchange for David Luiz.
Centre Back: David Luiz (27)
Luiz spent two-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge before being sold for a ridiculous amount of money (ridiculous equalling £50m in Luiz’s case) to Paris St Germain. Admittedly prone to the odd moment of madness, David Luiz is nevertheless one of the most talented and cultured central defenders in world football. While he’ll undoubtedly make the odd rash challenge, he’ll also do this:
Centre Back: Jeffrey Bruma (23)
Another of Europe’s hottest prospects snapped up and never given a chance at Stamford Bridge, Jeffrey Bruma was a regular for both Chelsea and The Netherlands at youth levels, but only ever made four senior appearances for The Blues.
He joined PSV Eindhoven last season, and has missed only two games so far this term: PSV are currently 12 points clear at the top of the Dutch Eredivisie with the best defensive record in the league.
Left Back: Ryan Bertrand (25)
Bertrand joined Chelsea as a 16-year-old and was long thought to be the heir apparent to Ashley Cole. He was loaned out to seven different teams and eventually sold to Southampton this January. Bertrand’s form this season has been a major factor in Ronald Koeman’s surprise success at St Mary’s, the team with the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Right Back: Glen Johnson (30)
Johnson signed for Chelsea as a raw 20-year-old and made a little over 40 appearances during a four year stint at Stamford Bridge. Since leaving West London for Portsmouth and then Liverpool, he’s gone on to win FA Cup and League Cup medals, as well as 49 caps for England. Chelsea were rumoured to have bid £17m to bring Johnson back to the Bridge in 2009, but he opted for Liverpool instead.
Photo: @TalkChels | Twitter
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech (32)
Okay, okay. So he hasn’t been sold, but how many teams in the world would have Petr Cech sat on the bench? Few. Very, very few. Cech has made over 300 league appearances for Chelsea, yet this season has pulled on the gloves just four times. He’s won every domestic competition going, and at 32 is in his goalkeeping prime. But Chelsea, and Mourinho, have benched him. It’s a sad sight to behold.
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (Old)
Ancelotti led Chelsea to a league and cup double in his first season in charge, a year in which they became the first club to score over 100 goals in a Premier League season. He was sacked less than 12 months later. His crime? Finishing second.
So there you are. A team with an average age of just 26 years, with enough talent to scare the living shit out of 98% of the footballing population, led by one of the most decorated managers in modern football history. And all, to a man, rejected by Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea.
Just think how good they could have been...
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