Chelsea’s academy has been known over the years to develop some elite talents, either starring in the first team or moving to another side and making the Blues a decent profit.
Conor Gallagher is the latest example of a player who has done both of the aforementioned things, making 127 appearances for his boyhood club, before joining Spanish side Atlético Madrid in a £38m deal.
Whilst there was some sadness over his departure given his long-term affiliation with the club, the transfer has helped the club potentially avoid a PSR punishment from the Premier League, whilst enabling them to re-sign João Félix from the LaLiga side.
As well as the club’s academy, Stamford Bridge is the home to numerous elite-level talents, with the club demonstrating their excellent recruitment in the transfer market.
Two of those are Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer.
Caicedo & Palmer’s time at Chelsea so far
After costing the club a combined £155m, there was a real expectation placed on the shoulders of Caicedo and Palmer, with the club needing added quality in the club’s first-team.
The Ecuadorian moved in a British record £115m deal from Brighton and has since made 53 appearances in all competitions, often making himself one of the first names on the teamsheet.
He’s only scored one goal during his time at Stamford Bridge, coming on the final day of last season in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth - but it was worth the wait, with his effort winning the club’s goal of the season.
Forward Palmer has been a roaring success during his first 12 months at Chelsea, registering 40 combined goals and assists in all competitions after his £40m move from Manchester City last summer.
The 22-year-old was rewarded with a call-up to the England national side for Euro 2024, scoring the vital equaliser in the final defeat against Spain.
Palmer has continued his excellent form into the new campaign, registering one goal and four assists in the opening three fixtures - currently sitting third in the division for most goal contributions.
However, despite the duo’s excellent form in West London, they are valued less than one player who was once on the books of the Blues.
This is certainly a poor one from a Chelsea perspective.
Declan Rice's rise after leaving Chelsea
Declan Rice has gone on to enjoy a phenomenal career in England, from winning the Europa Conference League to securing a big-money move to Arsenal and becoming a regular England international.
However, he could have been achieving all of these things in a Chelsea shirt, after being a part of the club’s academy - before being released at the age of 14 and joining West Ham.
To this day, it's a decision that the midfielder still doesn't truly understand.
"That was a tough one... like I said at Chelsea as a kid, it was all I ever knew so I thought where am I going to go, what am I going to do from here? To this day, I still honestly don't know the exact reason [why they let me go], I wish I did. I think it was probably down to the fact that as a kid, I was tiny, I was going through a massive growth spurt at the time." - Declan Rice.
His departure is just one of multiple mistakes made by the club in recent times, with his market value soaring as a result of his form under Mikel Arteta.
As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old is now valued at a staggering £102m, with his subsequent value higher than that of both Caicedo and Palmer, who are worth £63.2m and £67.4m respectively.
That's even despite Caicedo's initial fee last summer being worth than Rice, with both players breaking the Premier League transfer record in the same window.
| Most valuable players in the Premier League (2024/25) | |
|---|---|
| Player | Market value |
| Erling Haaland | £151m |
| Phil Foden | £126m |
| Bukayo Saka | £118m |
| Rodri | £110m |
| Declan Rice | £102m |
| Stats via Transfermarkt | |
Whilst the club have undoubtedly recruited well over the last couple of years with Caicedo and Palmer just two examples of their transfer business but, they could’ve saved themselves a fortune had they kept hold of Rice.
The England international has thrived after the decision to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge as a youngster, with the 25-year-old showcasing what the club could’ve had if they kept hold of talent.
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