Over the last few years, Chelsea FC’s transfer policy has never failed to shock the footballing universe.
While the blues have certainly made some fantastic transfers over the years: Eden Hazard, Cesar Azpilicueta and N’Golo Kante just to name a few, there has also been some transfers to and from Chelsea that have left the footballing world scratching their heads.
In particular, the decisions to let Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Mohammed Salah, leave to go and join Wolfsburg, Everton and Roma respectively, are the transfers which have left fans baffled.
So we have put together a team made up of Chelsea players that have been sold recently and put them up against the team that drew 0-0 with Leicester at the weekend.
So who would make our Chelsea reject XI?
Asmir Begovic, Goalkeeper
The goalkeeper from Bosnia and Herzegovina was sold to AFC Bournemouth for £12 million at the start of the season.
He was signed from Stoke City in Mourinho’s last season and he made 19 appearances and kept 4 clean sheets at the club; however, he was never going to overthrow Thibaut Courtois and become the No.1 Goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.
Juan Cuadrado, Right Back
After an impressive World Cup with Colombia in Brazil, Jose Mourinho signed the Right Midfielder from Fiorentina in the 2015 January transfer window for a fee of £23.9 million.
However, the Colombian was never really fancied by Mourinho who preferred Willian in his position.
Cuadrado was sent on a three-year loan to Juventus, who then went on to sign him permanently for £17 million in May.
Nathan Ake, Right Centre Back
Begovic’s Bournemouth colleague was at Chelsea’s academy from the age of 16; however, in that time he only made nine starts for the defending champions.
After loan spells at teams like Watford, Reading, and Bournemouth; Ake signed permanently for Bournemouth for a club record fee of £20 million.
Filipe Luis, Left Centre Back
Filipe Luiz was signed for £16 million from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2014, but he only made 26 appearances for the Blues.
Unfortunately for the Brazilian Mourinho preferred the more reserved Cesar Azpilicueta at Left Back.
He was sold back to Atletico Madrid for around £11 million.
Ryan Bertrand, Left Back
After remarkably making his Champions League debut in the final against Bayern Munich in 2012 it looked as if Bertrand was going to get his chance with the blues.
A graduate of the youth academy, Bertrand was left frustrated at his lack of opportunities with the first team and was eventually sold to Southampton for around £10 million.
Kevin De Bruyne, Right Defensive Midfield
What on earth were the blues thinking selling De Bruyne?
The Blues bought the Belgian playmaker from Genk for around £6.7 million but he was somehow never fancied at Chelsea.
He was sold to Wolfsburg for around £18 million. but to Chelsea’s horror, he was sold to Manchester City for about £54 million and he has gone on to become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and the world.
Nemanja Matic left defensive midfield
Conte is probably still seething about losing the Serbian to big rivals Manchester United.
The Serbian is solid as a rock and would allow De Bruyne to venture forward more often and make more impact in attack.
Mohammed Salah, Right midfielder
Salah is the second highest top goalscorer in the Premier League with 18 goals and 6 assists for Liverpool this season.
Salah was signed from Basle but like Cuadrado, he never convinced Mourinho that he was better than Willian.
He went on loans spells at Fiorentina and Roma, however since signing for Liverpool he has become one of the best players in the league.
Juan Mata, Centre Attacking Midfielder
The Spanish star couldn’t convince Mourinho at Chelsea but he is now a regular in the Manchester United team, managed by Mourinho.
It is bizarre that the Spanish playmaker is more valued at United than he was at Chelsea.
The World Cup winner was sold to United by Mourinho for around £37 million in the January transfer window in 2014.
Andre Schurrle, Left Winger
Schurrle was in and out of the Chelsea first team after signing from Bayer Leverkusen in the 2013-14 season.
Despite some impressive performances, the German was sold to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015.
Romelu Lukaku Striker
The Manchester United hitman nearly signed for Chelsea this season, but instead opted to join Mourinho at Manchester United.
The Belgian striker was signed by Andre Villas-Boas in the 2011-12 season, but after loan spells at West Brom and Everton, he was sold to Everton for around £28 million.
Here is the Chelsea team that faced Norwich in the second round of the FA Cup and how they look against the Chelsea reject XI.
It is fair to say that the reject XI would give any Premier League team a challenge. If only Chelsea were able to keep their players.