Chelsea has been one of the biggest clubs in England since Roman Abramovich took over the club. They have since continued to spend big in the transfer window since Todd Boehly's consortium took over the West London side.
Many players have spent the majority of their careers at Chelsea, such as Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Didier Drogba. However, some have left early and have seen their performances drop massively.
5 players who struggled after leaving Chelsea
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard was a real coup of a signing for Chelsea. In fact, he may have joined Tottenham Hotspur had the Blues not won the Champions League in 2012. Chelsea pinched Spurs' place in European soccer's premier competition and then signed Hazard.
Hazard won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, the FA Cup, and the League Cup with Chelsea. The forward scored 110 goals, with 88 assists 352 games for the club. He scored many memorable goals for the Blues, including a fantastic solo effort against West Ham United.
He then joined Real Madrid, where he became the biggest flop in the club's history. He struggled with fitness issues, which meant he played just 76 times for Los Blancos. He found the back of the net just seven times and made 12 assists. Hazard's contract was terminated with a year left on it, and he then retired.
Mason Mount
Mason Mount came through Chelsea's academy and was expected to be a one-club man. This was barring loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem and Derby County. He won the Champions League with Chelsea and scored 33 times, with 37 assists in 195 games for the club.
As is often the case with homegrown players, they often do not get offered the wages that they deserve. This led to a contract standoff before the player was sold to Manchester United for £55 million.
Since he joined United in 2023, Mount has had multiple injury problems. This has meant he has played just 55 times for the Red Devils, scoring five goals with just two assists. Mount has an FA Cup winners' medal at United, but he made just two substitute appearances in the competition.
Mount also amassed 36 England caps during his time at Chelsea. However, since he has been at United, he has been out of the picture with the national team. He starred under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, but the now England boss is yet to pick him in one of his rosters.
Diego Costa
Diego Costa was much loved by Chelsea fans but despised by opposition supporters for his controversial and aggressive antics. Not that Costa would care, after all, this is a man who switched international allegiance from Brazil to Spain after already gaining two caps for the Seleção.
He was involved in many clashes on the pitch. This included notable skirmishes with Liverpool's Martin Škrtel. They even had a go at each other in a charity match earlier this year.
Costa was also very effective for Chelsea on the pitch, where he scored 59 goals, with 21 assists in 120 games. The former Spain international won the Premier League twice and the League Cup with the Blues.
Despite his efforts for Chelsea, he had a very acrimonious exit with Antonio Conte telling him he was not part of his plans by text. Costa then returned to Atlético Madrid before having short spells with Atlético Mineiro, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Botafogo, and Gremio.
André Schürrle
André Schürrle won the Premier League and the League Cup with Chelsea. However, he is best known for his involvement in Germany's 2014 World Cup win. He set up Mario Gotze's winner in extra time against Argentina.
Gotze and Schürrle possibly flew too close to the sun with their heroics in Brazil, as they both soon faded at club level. After the World Cup win, Schürrle made just 14 more Premier League appearances, where he scored three goals, without making an assist.
Schürrle then returned to Germany, where he played for Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg. His career petered out with loan spells at Fulham and then Spartak Moscow. The German retired when he was only 29 years old. After retiring, he spoke of the loneliness of playing at the highest level.
Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma won two Premier League titles and the Champions League with Chelsea. He played for the Blues more than anyone else in his career, making 151 appearances. He did have success at West Ham United after Chelsea, winning the Europa Conference League.
However, he is now best remembered for abusing his cat. He was sent on loan to the Saudi Arabian side Al-Orobah by West Ham. Now he plays for the Romanian side, CFR Cluj. At just 31 years of age, this is a disappointing end to a former France international's career.