Top ‘5 world class players’ who rejected Chelsea move
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has played a big role since he took over the club in 2003, and his contribution has made Chelsea one of the successful club in the world.
However, He has managed to bring in players, and turn them into superstars. He has also managed to sign superstars, who went on to become even bigger names in Europe.
More so, the club has failed to recognize talents at times and has let them leave in the past, the club has also been turned down by players. The club has been rejected by superstars, who chose to join other European clubs.
Below we look at six players who turned down offers from Chelsea.
Roberto Carlos: A left-back who is one of a kind and probably a different breed in his generation, Roberto Carlos was an attacking left-back, playing for Real Madrid. After spending 11 years with Los Blancos, the player was a free agent in 2007. He was very close to signing for the Blues, before he changed his mind and signed for Turkish giants, Fenerbahce. Chelsea managed to sign Ashley Cole instead, who wasn’t a bad deal in the end for the Blues.
Alisson Becker: The Brazilian goalkeeper had a career-changing season in 2017-18. The stopper kept 32 clean sheets in the 2017-18 season for AS Roma. He attracted attention from many big European clubs, and Chelsea was one of them. Chelsea and Liverpool were the two clubs in pursuit of the Brazilian goalie. The goalkeeper chose Liverpool ahead of the Blues. He went on to win the Champions League and the Premier League along with many other trophies. He rejected Chelsea in 2018 because the club wasn’t playing in the Champions League in 2018-19 and did not have stable management. He went on to make a correct decision, as the fans suggest.
Steven Gerrard: One of the strangest names to be featured in this list has to be Stevie G. Steven Gerrard has been one of the most loyal players over the past years, as the England international played for Liverpool for 26 years, including his youth career. Liverpool had not won the Premier League ever since it was established in 1990. Steven Gerrard was all set to leave Anfield in 2014, and join Chelsea to team up with his England partner, Frank Lampard. However, in the end, moment, Gerrard said no and changed his mind. He was convinced by his close ones to not leave Liverpool, and he stayed back another year.
Romelu Lukaku: The former Chelsea man rejected a return to the club in 2017-18. He chose Manchester United over the London club. The Belgian was at Chelsea for three seasons but was often loaned out to other clubs. The Chelsea reject had almost completed a return to London in 2017, but fate wasn’t decided. The then Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, went and signed him. The Red Devils paid £75 million-plus bonuses for the then Everton player, who had a very successful four seasons with the Toffees.
Neymar Jr: The Brazilian was contacted by Chelsea in 2010, bidding a huge amount for the teenager back then. The then Santos player had shone at the biggest stage and had his best Santos career in 2011. He was a hot prospect in world football and was closely watched by big European clubs. He was convinced by the Santos authorities and Pele, to stay back at the Brazilian club. The winger went on to sign for Barcelona in 2013 and won everything with the Spanish giants. Things would be looking different for Chelsea if they had received the signature of the Brazilian.
Kylian Mbappe: In February 2020, Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe revealed he had trials a trial at Chelsea when younger. At just 11-years-old he was called for a trial at Chelsea, and the World Cup winner claims at the time he could scarcely believe he had been invited to London. But his parents intervened to prevent him from heading to the Premier League – a move he claims he now recognises was best for his development.
“Maybe if you’re not from where I’m from, you cannot understand this. But, for example, when I was 11 years old, I got to go to London for a few days to train with Chelsea’s youth team. I was so excited and shocked that I didn’t even want to tell my friends from the neighborhood where I was going,” he told The Players’ Tribune.
“I didn’t have a phone back then, so I asked my dad to give me his, and I showed them the pictures we took.
“That’s when they finally believed me. But the important thing was that they were not jealous. Not at all. They were just amazed. After that experience at Chelsea, I was begging my parents to let me leave Bondy and go away to a big club. But you have to understand my mother and father.
“They wanted me to stay at home so that I could be a child and live a normal life. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it was actually the best thing for me, because I learned a lot of hard lessons that I would have never learned in a bubble at an academy.”
His mother later went on to tell Chelsea who wanted Mbappe to give more trials: ‘Take him now or you will have to pay a fortune later!’