Chelsea have made some transfer mistakes in the past, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Nemanja Matic being bought and sold without showing their impact at the club before going on to have pretty successful careers.
Now, Chelsea risk repeating the same mistake, with two former players performing well enough to become valuable additions to Xabi Alonso’s starting XI.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga have both moved on from Stamford Bridge, but their respective performances suggest Chelsea could benefit from having them back in the squad.
While neither departure necessarily looked like a major loss at the time, circumstances have changed, and both could have an important role to play under Alonso. You could say they were celebrated when leaving the club after being afforded limited opportunities in a blue shirt.
Dewsbury-Hall, in particular, is showing the kind of form that should have Chelsea questioning whether they made the right decision. The midfielder has been impressive for Everton, producing performances that have arguably earned him England international level.
His intensity, energy and ability to drive forward with the ball would offer something different to Chelsea's midfield. Although playing in a more advanced position for Everton, the former Leicester City graduate has shown he can do the rough side of the game, alongside the glory.
Alonso wants his side to play with aggression and purpose, and Dewsbury-Hall's direct running could be particularly useful. He is capable of carrying the ball through midfield, breaking opposition lines and adding an attacking threat from deeper positions.
His three goals this season, following eight last term, demonstrate his eye for goal and ability to offer another attacking outlet for Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer to feed off.
Chelsea have plenty of technical quality, but sometimes lack the urgency and vertical movement needed to turn possession into meaningful opportunities. Dewsbury-Hall could help address that problem.
Veiga is another former Chelsea player who could have a case for returning. The Portuguese defender offers versatility, physicality and composure, having demonstrated his ability to operate across the defensive line.
While his Champions League performances against Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain do little to strengthen the argument, the Portuguese defender would be operating within a much stronger and potentially more suitable defensive structure under Alonso.
More importantly, his current level could arguably make him a stronger option than Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill, who have struggled to consistently convince.
Chelsea need greater reliability at the back, particularly with injuries and individual errors continuing to disrupt their defensive options. Veiga could provide valuable competition while giving Alonso another dependable option in defence.
Neither player would necessarily transform Chelsea overnight, but both address areas where the squad currently looks vulnerable. These are the kind of solutions Chelsea should be exploring from within before turning to the transfer market, particularly if they already have the quality needed to strengthen the squad.
Sometimes the answers to a team's problems are not found in another expensive transfer but in recognising the quality that has already been allowed to leave.
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