Chelsea must rue selling “unbelievable” star

Chelsea have made some big-money investments during the Todd Boehly era, looking to push the club back towards the top end of the Premier League table.

The American has spent over £100m on two separate players, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández costing the Blues £115m and £106.8m, respectively.

However, the pair have been worthwhile additions despite the mammoth sums, both becoming key members of Enzo Maresca’s side – with the latter taking the armband in recent weeks.

Despite the vast number of additions at Stamford Bridge over the last couple of years, the pair have remained integral to the plans of various management teams, showcasing how well the moves have worked out.

The same can’t be said for one player, with injuries massively plaguing the star ever since his own big-money move to join the West London outfit a couple of years ago.

Wesley Fofana’s stats for Chelsea

French centre-back Wesley Fofana joined Chelsea in a £75m deal from Leicester City in the summer of 2022, with real expectations on the defender transforming the backline.

The 24-year-old would only make 20 appearances during his debut campaign in the capital, suffering an ACL injury which would put a halt to his progress at the Bridge.

However, he’s since returned for this campaign, with Maresca making Fofana a key member of the side in his first few months in charge following his summer appointment.

However, injuries would hamper him once more, suffering a hamstring injury in December, ruling him out for three months, and making his first return to action in the recent 1-0 triumph over his former side.

His setbacks have had a huge impact on his market value, with his price tag dropping dramatically, which has seen a former player now valued at a much higher figure after his departure.

Former Chelsea star is now worth 3x more than Fofana

Given the influx of additions, it was always likely that sales were needed to balance the books, resulting in various star talents departing the Bridge in recent years.

From homegrown talents like Mason Mount to big-money signings like Romelu Lukaku, departures have been frequent, preventing the club from suffering any financial implications.

Centre-back Marc Guehi is another player to depart West London in recent times, moving across the capital for Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021 during the Thomas Tuchel era for a fee in the region of £18m.

The 24-year-old spent 14 years at the club before his transfer, unable to break into the first-team picture, with his sale now looking to be a huge mistake a couple of years down the line.

Guehi, who’s now Palace’s captain, has thrived with regular Premier League minutes, racking up 145 appearances for the Eagles – even forcing himself into the England national team as a result of his performances.

The centre-back, who’d previously been dubbed “unbelievable” by podcast host Aaron Moniz, has been subject to huge transfer interest in recent months, with Newcastle United making multiple bids for his signature.

Chelsea have even entered the race for his signature recently, showcasing his development and the mistake made in allowing him to depart – but his £75m valuation has prevented any return to the Bridge, an increase of 320% on the fee they sold him for.

His subsequent valuation is higher than current star Fofana’s price tag, with the Frenchman now valued at just £25m by Transfermarkt after his injury setbacks – a figure three times less than that of Guehi.

There’s no denying that Fofana has been superb when not suffering from fitness issues, having the tools to push the Blues back towards the summit of the table in the next few years.

However, his issues are far too frequent to make him a reliable option, with Guehi potentially the perfect player to operate in Maresca’s backline, demonstrating the huge error they made in approving his sale back in 2021.

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