Chelsea’s most expensive sale ever

Under Roman Abramovich and now Todd Boley, Chelsea have spent heavily on a number of new signings over the past 20 years, but how have the Blues fared when it comes to departures?

The people at Stamford Bridge have brought in a lot of stars, with a lot of players moving on to the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Take a look at the most expensive sale in Chelsea’s history, according to news reports and TransferMarkt. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10.

Here’s a detailed look at Chelsea’s 10 most expensive sales…

10

Juan Mata

£37.1m to Man UTD, 2014

Like Nemanja Matic, attacking midfielder Juan Mata also traded Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford, but did so three years earlier in 2014.

The Spaniard joined Chelsea from Valencia in 2011 and starred in the Premier League, but Jose Mourinho, who recently returned for a second stint at the club, was willing to cash in midway through the 2013/14 campaign for more than £37m.

9

nemanja mat

£40m to Man UTD in 2017

Matic had two spells at Chelsea, returning to Stamford Bridge from Benfica in 2014 in a deal worth £21 million.

The Serbian was a regular for the next three years and the Blues made a tidy profit when they sold him to Manchester United and Jose Mourinho in 2017.

8

Please call Maduyke

£48.5m to Arsenal, 2025

Nuni Madueke spent two and a half years at Stamford Bridge after arriving from PSV Eindhoven in 2023.

Although it appeared to be a sensible decision from the Chelsea chief, Madueke’s start to life at the Emirates shows that he will indeed prove to be called upon for club live regrets.

7

david lewis

£50m from PSG in 2014

Brazilian centre-back David Luiz made an instant impact after joining Chelsea from Benfica for £21.3 million in 2011, and was with the club for the next two-and-a-half years.

Luiz was then sold to Paris Saint-Germain for big money in 2014 as the French giants swooped in for a £50m heartthrob, but two years later Chelsea bought the defender back and Luiz went on to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League titles in his second stint.

6

mason mount

£55m to Man Utd, 2023

Chelsea Chiefs have done admirably to sign Mason Mount for an initial £55m in 2023.

Manchester United were willing to spend cash on the Englishman, but his first year at Old Trafford was hampered by injuries and the cash brought in for his services was a wise decision by the Blues.

5

Diego Costa

£57m to Atlético Madrid, 2017

Diego Costa, Chelsea’s best striker since Didier Drogba, was signed and sold by Atletico Madrid in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

During his stay in west London, Costa shone with his power and finishing ability, scoring 59 goals in 120 appearances and winning two Premier League titles.

Following Antonio Conte’s departure with manager Antonio Conte, Chelsea could set back around £57 million as Atleti came after their former forward.

4

Alvaro Morata

£58.3m to Atlético Madrid, 2020

Chelsea received a very handsome sum of £58.3 million when they sold Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid in 2020. The Blues loaned him out and sold him at the start of the 2019/20 season.

It meant that Chelsea almost broke even buying the striker from Atleti’s city rivals Real Madrid in the summer of 2017 for around £60 million.

It was a pretty impressive deal from a financial perspective, considering that things didn’t go well for Morata at Stamford Bridge.

3

oscar

£60m for Shanghai SIPG

Oscar was one of several Brazilians sold for big money by Chelsea, with the midfielder spending five years at Stamford Bridge from 2012 before a £60m switch was made at the height of China’s Super League boom.

He won four major honors with the Blues and made over 200 appearances before moving to China with Shanghai SIPG. Oscar recently sealed a move to his native Brazil with a January switch to former club Sao Paulo.

2

Kai Havertz

£65m to Arsenal, 2023

Kai Herberts, the winner’s scorer against Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League Final, was sold to London rivals Arsenal in 2023.

Three years ago, the German forward was signed from Bayer Leverkusen, but struggled to find a starring role at Chelsea and as a result he joined Mikel Arteta’s side, who have impressed since his £65m move.

1

eden hazard

£89m to Real Madrid, 2019

Topping the chart is winger Eden Hazard, who starred for Chelsea between 2012 and 2019 before Real Madrid swooped in with a record deal.

The Belgian made over 350 appearances for the Blues, scoring 110 times, providing 85 assists and winning six major honors. The people at the Bernabéu made Hazard a Galactico, but things were never going to plan for him in Madrid.

According to reports, his transfer fee could have exceeded £150m, but Chelsea had to settle for a whopping €100m (£89m) after his departure.

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