Chelsea's 10 biggest sales of all time
Martin Macdonald
- Updated:
- 5 min read
Chelsea became a spending juggernaut in 2003 when the club was purchased by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. That has only continued under new American owner Todd Boehly.
But Chelsea have also made some massive sales over the past two decades, becoming one of the best teams in the world at developing youngsters and selling them on for profit.
So, who are Chelsea's biggest sales of all time?
READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
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10. Juan Mata - £37m (Man Utd, 2014)
There was an element of panic about Man Utd's purchase of Mata in January of 2014.
Things were not going well under new manager David Moyes after he replaced legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Mata was brought in to provide some much-needed flair in attacking areas, but he was never able to hit the heights of his peak at Chelsea form during his eight years at Old Trafford.
9. Tammy Abraham - £38m (Roma, 2021)
Tammy Abraham joined Chelsea as an eight-year-old and graduated from the youth academy before debuting for the first team.
He was expected to become Chelsea's long-term No.9 after establishing himself under Frank Lampard.
However, the appointment of Thomas Tuchel in 2021 saw him fall down the pecking order and he was eventually sold to Jose Mourinho's Roma in the summer of 2021.
8. Nemanja Matic - £40m (Man Utd, 2017)
Man Utd gave their Premier League rivals another pile of cash in 2017 when they bought Matic for £40m.
The Serbian was a favourite of Mourinho's during their time together at Chelsea and when the United boss at the time identified the need for a defensive midfielder, he went with a player he knew well.
Matic was satisfactory during his time at Old Trafford but there was a sense that he had been a better player at Chelsea.
A defensive screen, he lost his place to Fred and Scott McTominay before being reunited with Mourinho at Roma.
7. Alvaro Morata - £48.5m (Atletico Madrid, 2019)
Much like his performances at every club in his career, Morata blew hot and cold during his time at Chelsea, which wasn't enough to keep him there for more than two years.
He was capable of moments of excellence but didn't prove to be the goalscorer the Blues were looking for as he ended his career in London with 24 scored in 72 matches across all competitions.
Morata would eventually leave on loan to Atletico Madrid but the Spanish outfit had an obligation to purchase for £48.5m, with some reports pegging the fee at £60m.
6. David Luiz - £50m (PSG, 2014)
PSG broke the record transfer fee for a defender by purchasing David Luiz for £50m in 2014.
A talented footballer, Luiz was certainly capable of a mistake or two as a defender, so the kind of money on offer was a no-brainer for Chelsea.
The Brazilian would eventually return to Stamford Bridge two years later as Chelsea signed him back for £16m cheaper than they sold him.
5. Diego Costa - £50m (Atletico Madrid, 2017)
Costa was viewed as the eventual replacement for Didier Drogba after a number of others had tried and failed at the task.
The Brazil-born Spain international was excellent in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge and helped the club to two Premier League titles in 2015 and 2017.
He was especially good in 2016/17, when he scored 20 goals in 35 games in the league.
After a failed move to the Chinese Super League, though, he would fall out with then-manager Antonio Conte and was eventually sold for a profit to Atletico Madrid.
4. Oscar - £60m (Shanghai SIPG, 2017)
When the Chinese Super League suddenly started spending outlandish amounts on transfers and wages, the offer of £60m to land Oscar from Chelsea was one the Blues simply couldn't turn down.
A fine player at Stamford Bridge, yes, but Chelsea's eyes certainly lit up when they received that particular sum.
He won the Chinese Super League in 2018 and made himself exceedingly wealthy due to his salary in Asia.
3. Mason Mount - £60m (Man Utd, 2023)
Manchester United beat Liverpool to the signing of Chelsea fan favourite Mason Mount during the summer of 2023 for a fee of £55m plus £5m in add-ons.
Mount had spent 18 years at Stamford Bridge, coming through the youth system before breaking into the first team.
He played a crucial role in the club winning the 2021 Champions League and made his name as a goalscoring midfielder. However, things turned sour in his final campaign and he will be hoping to resurrect his career at Man Utd.
2. Kai Havertz - £65m (Arsenal, 2023)
A player who will ultimately go down as a flop despite scoring in a Champions League final, Kai Havertz arrived at Stamford Bridge for £62 in 2020.
Shoehorned into an unfamiliar striker position, Havertz failed to replicate the form that once made him the Bundesliga's biggest wonderkid. He departed Chelsea after three seasons, signing for Arsenal in a deal worth £65m.
1. Eden Hazard - £88m (Real Madrid, 2019)
Hazard became the most expensive player in Real Madrid's history and the most expensive Chelsea sale ever when Los Blancos purchased the Belgian for an initial fee of £88m.
Subsequent reports have detailed that should certain criteria be met, Hazard could cost Madrid as much as €160m.
He has certainly failed to live up to huge expectations so far, though, as his career at the Santiago Bernabeu has been ravaged by injury and disappointing form.
