Just 10 years ago, Chelsea were known for their lavish outlay under owner Roman Abramovich, but in the last three years they have become the masters of the other side of the transfer market.
The potential sale of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG for £52million has caught the eye, but it only speaks for the way Chelsea have succeeded when selling players since June 2013.
After that date Chelsea have made a staggering £314.4m from player sales, more than any other side in the Premier League.
Oscar’s move to China is just one example of how the Stamford Bridge club have managed to eke more value out of certain players than might otherwise have been expected.
After all, there was the same level of incredulity when Ramires moved to Jiangsu Suning last January, and the deal for that Brazilian midfielder was only worth £25m.
Chelsea’s expertise in the loan market – they increase the value of players who are not ready for their first-team by sending them temporarily to other sides – has also paid off over the last three years.
One standout example is the way that Romelu Lukaku’s transfer to Everton came together. He spent a season with West Brom before a campaign at Goodison Park.
By the time the summer rolled around, he had become so integral to the Toffees that they were willing to break their transfer record and spend £28m on the Belgian striker.
Prior to Oscar’s potential sale, the most Chelsea had taken from a single departure from Stamford Bridge came from David Luiz’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian defender cost PSG £50m when they signed him in June 2014 – a move that was questioned at the time and seems even more incredible given Chelsea brought him back at a profit on deadline day this year.
Chelsea also managed to wring £37.1m out of Manchester United for Juan Mata when they sold him in 2014. While he has gone on to be a success for the Old Trafford side, Mata took a number of years to settle and really make an impact in red.
There have been costly mistakes. Kevin De Bruyne moved to Wolfsburg for just £16.5m only to move to Manchester City for £52m a year and a half later.
The club also lost money on selling Filipe Luis back to Atletico Madrid a season after they signed him.
CHELSEA’S SALES AND POTENTIAL SALES SINCE JUNE 2013
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