Over the last couple of years, Chelsea may have made some rash decisions in the transfer market, splashing over £1.2b on new additions since Todd Boehly’s takeover in May 2022.

Cole Palmer will undoubtedly go down as one of the best additions of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, registering 52 combined goals and assists in his 56 appearances in all competitions.

The £40m fee forked out for his services last summer now looks to be an absolute bargain, helping new boss Enzo Maresca in his quest to potentially win a trophy in his debut season in charge.

Nicolas Jackson may have had various amounts of criticism since his transfer from Villarreal in 2023, but the Senegalese striker has been a constant source of goals in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old has registered 23 goals since his own move, often providing that focal point at the top end of the pitch. However, the Club have often conducted below-par business, none more so than the transfer window during the summer of 2021.

Chelsea’s transfer window in the summer of 2021

During the 2020/21 campaign, the Blues won the Champions League under former boss Thomas Tuchel, with the German doing a phenomenal job on the European stage.

As a result, he found himself with the opportunity to further improve the squad during the summer of 2021, forking out huge money on a new centre-forward.

Romelu Lukaku rejoined Chelsea in a then Club-record £97.5m transfer from Inter Milan, in an attempt to add further power to the attacking department.

However, the move was a disaster, with the Belgian only featuring 44 times, scoring just 15 goals, before being sent on various loan moves away from Stamford Bridge.

He would subsequently depart the Club permanently this summer, joining Serie A side Napoli in a £30m deal – seeing a £67.5m loss on their big-money investment.

To fund the move, various academy graduates were sold, with the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Lewis Baker leaving their boyhood Club to create room for Lukaku’s move.

The aforementioned pair weren’t the only academy stars to permanently depart West London, as another youngster was prematurely offloaded.

The man who Chelsea offloaded too soon

Centre-back Marc Guehi left Chelsea in the summer of 2021, joining fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace in a deal for around £18m – a bargain given his rapid rise to stardom at Selhurst Park.

In the three years since his transfer, the 24-year-old has cemented his place as a regular starter, even becoming the Eagles’ Club captain in the process.

Guehi, who’s been dubbed a “monster” by journalist Bobby Manzi, has made 122 appearances for the Eagles, scoring on six occasions, a record that has caught the eye within the England national team setup – earning him various call-ups over the last few months.

He was subsequently included in England’s squad for this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, where Gareth Southgate’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat against Spain in the final.

As a result of Guehi’s consistent performances across London, his market value has since skyrocketed, with Newcastle United strongly linked with a move for the defender.

The Magpies registered four bids for the defender over the summer, but Oliver Glasner’s side were unwilling to budge on their £75m valuation for the talent.

Given his rapid development away from Stamford Bridge, there must be some form of regret in allowing the youngster to leave with Guehi undoubtedly having the ability to star at the heart of Maresca’s side.

It’s great to see another Cobham academy graduate starring in the Premier League, but it’s now a case of what could’ve been for the Blues had they kept hold of the talent.

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