DIEGO COSTA’S exit Stamford Bridge means Chelsea have banked a bonkers £500milllion over the past three years.
But which players will Blues chiefs feel smug about shifting and who are the ones that could return to bite them?
SunSport takes you through 31 players to have emptied their lockers at Cobham over the last three years and lined the club’s coffers with half a billion quid…
Oscar – £60m to Shanghai SIPG
Kerching. Brazilian attacker undoubtedly had talent but never showed up in big games – and Blues made a £35m profit.
The fact player swapped Prem title tilt for mounds of Chinese cash in poor-quality league spoke volumes about his motivations.
Deal rating: 9/10
Diego Costa – £57m to Atletico Madrid
The Brazil-born striker’s goals helped fire Blues to two Prem titles under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, filling the void left by Didier Drogba.
But his strops on and off the field made Conte’s mind up that he had to move on the Spain No9.
Having paid £3m LESS to land Alvaro Morata, who is four years Costa‘s junior, Blues have doubled their money on the surly striker and will be laughing all the way to the bank.
Deal rating: 8/10
David Luiz – £50m to Paris Saint-Germain
Many Blues fans could not believe PSG had paid them this once-staggering fee for Luiz.
Blues bought him back for £18m less, having originally signed him from Benfica for £21m.
Deal rating: 9/10
Nemanja Matic – £40m to Manchester United
Like Costa, was instrumental in helping Blues win 2014-15 title in first full season back at club.
Serbian hardman returned from Benfica for £21m, with his sale to United ensuring they trousered a tidy profit.
But owner Roman Abramovich’s decision to green-light the exit of one of his favourites could look premature.
Matic has United’s midfield ticking, while new boy Tiemoue Bakayoko is still finding his feet.
Deal rating: 4/10
Juan Mata – £37.1m to Manchester United
‘Johnny Kills’ was a fans’ favourite at Stamford Bridge and eyebrows were raised when their Player of the Season and assist king for 2012-13 was sold by Mourinho.
Question marks over the defensive side to his game remain, but a now a regular starter in the Portuguese’s United side.
Deal rating: 6/10
Romelu Lukaku – £28m to Everton
In fairness, the Belgian striker’s sale looked a lot of money to many people at the time.
But Blues were in the race to beat Manchester United to a deal which saw Mourinho’s latest club pay £75m up front, with another £15m to come.
Deal rating: 2/10
Ramires – £25m to Jiangsu Suning
Another Brazilian to leave for Chinese yuan, as Chelsea also lined their pockets with a £6m profit.
Proved his worth with energetic displays in a six-year stint, but Blues did well to bank sizeable sum for for player that was close to his thirties.
Deal rating: 8/10
Andre Schurrle – £23m to Wolfsburg
A regular starter for Germany, Schurrle won the World Cup in 2014 – a year after signing for £17m from Leverkusen.
He had bags of pace, but Mourinho didn’t think Schurrle had done enough to convince him to turn down a decent bid from Wolfsburg.
The forward moved for £25m to Dortmund last year.
Deal rating: 8/10
Nathan Ake – £20m to Bournemouth
Dutch defender, 22, had been part of the academy set-up since age of 16.
But Ake was not deemed ready to be a fixture in the best-drilled backline in the league and Blues took Bournemouth’s cash.
With quality on the ball, development of defensive skills will determine whether the price was right.
Deal rating: 7/10
Kevin De Bruyne – £18m to Wolfsburg
The Belgian playmaker arrived from Genk, in his homeland, for £6m with big things expected.
But they didn’t come at Chelsea and De Bruyne requested a move in his quest for a regular starting role.
Was so good at Wolfsburg that Man City paid £54m to get him.
De Bruyne would walk into any team in the league.
Deal rating: 2/10
Juan Cuadrado – £17.3m to Juventus
Colombian ace was never really given a chance by Mourinho after arriving from Fiorentina for £23.3m.
He excels for national team and looks dangerous for Juventus, but is no better than what Blues have in first XI.
However, club made a loss to Serie A giants after stint on loan in Turin.
Deal rating: 3/10
Mohamed Salah – £14.5m to Roma
Egyptian speedster suffered similar experience to Cuadrado in two seasons on Blues’ books and was sold to Roma, after a loan stint at Fiorentina, for a £3.5m profit.
Salah was so impressive in two seasons in the Italian capital that Liverpool paid £34.3m for him – and he looks the business.
Deal rating: 2/10
Filipe Luis – £11m to Atletico Madrid
Solid but unspectacular Brazilian helped Blues to title in his only season at the club.
Did not show enough in attack and was sold at a £6m loss to his former club.
Deal rating: 2/10
Petr Cech – £10m to Arsenal
Could they have squeezed a few more quid out of Arsenal for a club legend still capable of playing at the highest level?
Thibaut Courtois was proving too good to leave on the bench and it was the right time for Cech to move on.
Deal rating: 4/10
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Ryan Bertrand – £10m to Southampton
Blues had clung onto Bertrand for long enough before selling the Champions League winner.
He wanted to go and Saints stumped up after an impressive loan stint at Aston Villa.
But Manchester City have shown an interest over the summer and how Conte would like Bertrand in his ranks to compete with left-back Marcos Alonso.
Deal rating: 2/10
Asmir Begovic – £10m to Bournemouth
Bosnian keeper has quality and proved able deputy to an injured Thibaut Courtois by playing 25 Prem games in 2015-16.
But was a benchwarmer when supreme Belgian stopper was fit and Blues made a £2m profit on former Stoke man.
Deal rating: 8/10
John Obi Mikel to Tianjin TEDA – £9m
Nigerian midfielder had won two titles and a Champions League in ten years at Stamford Bridge.
However, he had become a jobbing anchorman, wheeled out for just ten minutes when Blues had a lead to protect. It was time to go and Blues got a good fee.
Deal rating: 8/10
Bertrand Traore – £8.8m to Lyon
Burkina Faso striker was hailed by Mourinho as “a great talent” after a returning from an impressive season on loan at Vittesse.
But Conte farmed him out to Ajax last season and then sold the 22-year-old – who could prove to be worth several-fold what they received – in the summer.
Deal rating: 5/10
Demba Ba – £8m to Besiktas
Sold for a seven-figure profit after just a season and a half.
Was signed as back-up and was allowed to move to Turkey was regular games.
Deal rating: 7/10
Papy Djilobodji – £8m to Sunderland
Blues took a £2.5m punt on the big Senegalese defender as back-up.
He was woeful as Sunderland were relgated and has now been packed off on loan to Dijon in France.
Deal rating: 9/10
Christian Atsu – £6.2m to Newcastle
Ghanaian never played a competitive game after arriving from Porto for £3.5m in 2013.
Had five loan stints away but only begun to show talent in Championship with Newcastle last season.
Deal rating: 6/10
Patrick Bamford – £6m (rising to £10m) to Boro
Blues clung onto Nottingham Forest academy graduate for long enough to see he didn’t have what it took at highest level.
Shifted to Boro after six loan spells and has yet to hit his straps on Teesside.
Deal rating: 8/10
Nathaniel Chalobah – £5m to Watford
As England’s record cap-holder at youth level and a product of their academy, Blues wanted Chalobah to stay.
But the midfielder made it clear he wanted out and sealed a permanent move after six loan spells.
Decision will rankle with Abramovich, who has long demanding to see graduates in the first-team squad.
Deal could well prove a snip to the Hornets.
Deal rating: 2/10
Oriol Romeu – £5m to Southampton
Blues made a couple of million on the former Barcelona academy ace when they flogged him after four years and two loan spells.
But Romeu has impressed on the South Coast and looks worth much more than the £5m they received.
Deal rating: 3/10
Stipe Perica – £3.4m to Udinese
Who? The Croatian arrived for £2m and left for more.
Beanpole target man, 22, has two goals in 29 games for Udinese over the last two seasons.
Deal rating: 7/10
Marko Marin – £3m to Olympiakos
He was ludicrously dubbed ‘the German Messi’ when he arrived for £7m Werder Bremen in 2012.
And Marin was given just six games before being sent out for loans at four different sides and then sold at a £4m loss to Greek side Olympiakos.
Deal rating: 3/10
Dominic Solanke – £3m (likely tribunal fee) to Liverpool
Another academy star to leave because he wanted to start more frequently.
England under-20 World Cup winner will almost certainly prove to be worth more than whatever Blues are given.
Deal rating: 1/10
Gael Kakuta – £2.5m to Sevilla
Teen prodigy was once jewel in crown at academy.
He is now on loan in France from Chinese side Hebei China Fortune after flopping in Brazil.
Deal rating: 7/10
Patrick van Aanholt – £1.5m to Sunderland
Dutch left-back had played just two Prem games when he was flogged to Sunderland.
Dangerous going forward but poor in defence, Sam Allardyce had seen enough to sign him for Crystal Palace in a deal rising to £14m – almost ten times less than they paid.
Deal rating: 3/10
George Saville – £1m to Wolves
Slick midfielder moved to Black Country and got regular action.
But Saville has now taken a step back to sign for fellow Championship side Millwall.
Deal rating: 7/10
Josh McEachran – £750,000 to Brentford
Midfielder made first team bow as a 17-year-old under Carlo Ancelotti, but never kicked on.
Sum seems paltry for a player so highly rated. However, McEachran rarely starts for Brentford in the Championship.
Deal rating: 5/10
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