Chelsea star gave ‘literally everything’, yet was mistreated and discarded by the club

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Chelsea have shown a remarkable lack of loyalty to their players over the years as Todd Boehly continued his wheeling and dealing in the summer transfer window.

The Blues have signed four of the most expensive transfers in Premier League history, and while none came in the summer just gone, three of those were under Boehly’s stewardship.

His strategy has been partially successful; Chelsea won the Club World Cup this summer and secured a return to the Champions League last season.

However, the drama surrounding Nicolas Jackson’s loan move to Bayern Munich is a clear indication of how the ownership views the players – Chelsea initially cancelled the deal after Liam Delap’s injury before finally deciding to proceed as planned with no empathy towards the player involved.

And now, another squad member who has been on the books at Stamford Bridge since 2020 left the club on deadline day, and Chelsea should be ashamed of his treatment of the player.

Ben Chilwell leaves Chelsea for Strasbourg

Ben Chilwell completed a transfer to Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg, on deadline day, signing a two-year deal with the French side. It is no coincidence that he had the same amount of time left on his contract at Stamford Bridge.

The 28-year-old posted a farewell message to the supporters via Instagram after the Blues officially announced the transfer.

He wrote: “I gave literally everything for this club, so it’s nice for the appreciation. I love you guys, thank you.”

Chilwell was completely frozen out at Chelsea; he featured only once in the Carabao Cup before he spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Crystal Palace.

Although Palace decided against signing Chilwell this summer, Enzo Maresca did not allow the full-back to force his way back into the boss’ first team plans.

TBR Football reported in February that Everton had held talks for Chilwell, but they too decided against pursuing their interest further. The fact that Chelsea denied the player any opportunity to regain his match fitness and attract potential suitors is baffling.

This is a Champions League winner, and yet, the Blues were forced to rely on a club in their network to resolve Chilwell’s future, and furthermore, the owners will continue to pay his wages.

Chelsea must learn from Ben Chilwell’s departure

As things stand, Chelsea’s reputation in football will take a significant hit, and soon they will find themselves losing out on transfer targets, regardless of how lucrative the wages on offer.

Having a designated “bomb squad” at the club, players who have been banished from the first team until they secure a move elsewhere, is nothing less than cruel.

Chilwell won multiple major honours at Chelsea whilst he was a first-team regular, and after his treatment at Stamford Bridge, he failed to make double-digit appearances for Crystal Palace.

Indeed, Maresca and co appear to be on the right track in the Premier League and in Europe, but if the ownership insists on acquiring talent in bulk, the club absolutely must find a more worthwhile solution when players are deemed surplus to requirements.