Six Chelsea players wanted to quit after last day of season - and who really left

Turmoil at is nothing new, but during the summer of 2023, it became the club's defining feature. A miserable 12th-place finish in the - the Blues' lowest in nearly 30 years - capped one of their most chaotic campaigns ever, even after astonishing £500million investment in fresh talent.

The American owner's dream of a rapid resurgence fell apart dramatically, leaving the squad overstuffed, the dressing room split, and morale at an all-time low - as interim boss later highlighted. Internal friction grew, as players battled not just for starting positions but for locker space and a sense of stability, with many doubting their place in the club's future.

According to , no fewer than six squad members were eager to leave on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign. In the end, Chelsea offloaded a remarkable 15 players - ranging from club legends to forgettable signings - in a squad overhaul few would have dared predict. Here, football.london runs through them all.

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The legends: Kante and Azpilicueta

Two of the club's most beloved and respected figures - and - exited on free transfers following the end of their contracts. Kante, the relentless engine in midfield who helped power Chelsea to the 2016/17 league title and the in 2021, joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad.

His departure marked the end of an era for a player celebrated for his tireless work rate, defensive intelligence, and legendary humility. Meanwhile, Azpilicueta, the ever-reliable skipper who won every major competition during an 11-year stint, returned to Spain with Atletico Madrid.

Though both left on good terms, their absence left a gaping hole in leadership and experience, and even bigger holes in the hearts of supporters.

The shock sales: Mount and Havertz

Arguably the most jaw-dropping moves came with the departures of and - the duo that combined for Chelsea's Champions League final-winning goal just two years earlier. Mount, a Cobham academy product and lifelong Chelsea supporter, moved to for £55m, a decision that left fans bewildered and upset.

The transfer, influenced by stalled contract talks and uncertainty about his role under new management, ignited fierce discussions about the club's treatment of homegrown stars. Havertz, meanwhile, made a cross-city switch to in a £65m transfer.

Although the German's inconsistency was a point of criticism, his knack for delivering in crucial moments – most notably in Porto – made his sale, particularly to a domestic rival, a bitter pill to swallow. These deals exemplified the new owners' unsentimental and business-first strategy - which, in hindsight, may have been justified given Mount's recent fitness issues at Old Trafford, and Havertz's underwhelming performances as Arsenal's primary goal-getter.

The midfield reset: Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek

The reshuffling didn't stop there. Chelsea's midfield core was further depleted with the exits of and . Kovacic, a gifted dribbler and reliable performer since arriving in 2018, was sold to for £25m.

Despite the irony of strengthening a direct competitor, Chelsea were keen to cash in before his contract expired. Loftus-Cheek, another product of the youth system, completed a £15m move to AC Milan after an injury-riddled and inconsistent tenure in west London.

These exits reflected Chelsea's pivot toward a younger, more dynamic midfield, with already in place and big-money buys and soon to follow.

The wide men: Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi

Once seen as cornerstones of Chelsea's attacking future, and also made their exits. Pulisic, signed for £58m in 2019 to fill the void left by , never truly found his rhythm at Stamford Bridge.

Persistent injuries and inconsistent form limited him to 26 goals in 145 games, and his £20m transfer to AC Milan felt like an amicable split. Hudson-Odoi, another academy graduate once tipped for greatness, joined Nottingham Forest for a mere £3m.

Under , the winger has rediscovered his spark, making Chelsea's decision to let him go for so little look increasingly questionable. That said, whether he'd have been given the chance to shine had he stayed at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen.

The defensive departures: Mendy, Koulibaly, Ampadu

Among the significant names to leave were a trio from the back line. , a key figure in the 2021 Champions League triumph, joined Al-Ahli for £16m.

Though once a calming force between the posts, his form dipped dramatically, and with new signings arriving, his exit was inevitable. , brought in for £33m as a marquee centre-back in 2022, also departed after just a single season.

Sold to Al-Hilal for £20m, Koulibaly's struggles to adapt to the English game typified the club's impatience with big-name signings. , a young and adaptable defender who showed promise on loan, was sold to Leeds United for £7m - another move that chipped away at Chelsea's homegrown core.

The forgotten men: Aubameyang, Bakayoko, Rahman

The summer clear-out also saw the departure of several players who had long been out of the club's plans. , signed for £40m in 2017 but seldom seen since, finally left on a free to Lorient. , another ill-fated signing plagued by injury and repeated loans, joined PAOK with no fee involved.

departure stood out as perhaps the most telling misjudgment of the Boehly era. Signed for £10.8m from Barcelona in 2022, he managed just three goals in 21 appearances.

His move to Marseille on a free summed up the erratic and often short-sighted nature of the club's recruitment – both in eras past and present.

The loan exit: Lukaku

saga took yet another twist as the £97.5m striker was loaned to AS Roma. After returning to Chelsea in 2021 with enormous expectations, the Belgian managed just eight goals in 26 league appearances and fell out of favour following a public falling out with .

Even after the German coach's exit, Lukaku made it clear he had no desire to wear the Chelsea shirt again. A last-minute loan deal was struck, which included a pay cut and a modest release clause designed to facilitate a permanent transfer down the line.

The aftermath

The summer of 2023 wasn't just a reset - it was a seismic shift at the club. Offloading 15 players, including beloved legends, academy talents, and underperforming marquee buys, laid bare the chaos of Boehly's first year in charge.

While the mass exodus did free up wages and open the door for arrivals like Caicedo and , it also left the team low on experience and grit. Still, progress has definitely been made in the last two years. Chelsea secured a top-four finish on the final day of the 2024/25 season, punching their ticket back to the Champions League.

Now, they stand poised to re-enter Europe's top competition - not as a team in transition, but as one ready to prove that the turbulence of 2023 was not only necessary but perhaps, in the end, the spark they needed to catapult themselves back towards the summit of world football.