Chelsea recouped a global record £400million in player sales during the summer, when they also signed 10 new first-team players. Internally, the club believes total exits, including loan fees and potential add-ons, could rise to €600m.
Some of those departed players have started brightly at their new clubs, while others have struggled to make an impact. Here, Standard Sport assesses how they are faring since leaving Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella thriving
The Enzo Fernandez move to Manchester City was the biggest saga of the summer transfer window and concluded on Deadline Day, when Chelsea equalled a British football record by recouping £125m for the Argentine. Fernandez was wanted by City manager Enzo Maresca, who was a big fan of his when head coach at Chelsea. Maresca has been playing him regularly, gradually increasing his minutes in each game, culminating in the full 90 for the first time in City's last match against Sunderland, when he opened the scoring in a 5-3 home win with a free-kick.
Marc Cucurella has made a strong start at Real Madrid, nailing down the left-back spot under new manager Jose Mourinho, ahead of Alvaro Carreras and Ferland Mendy. His form dipped in the second half of last season, but he was always going to be a big loss for Chelsea once his sale was confirmed at the beginning of the World Cup.
Andrey Santos and Trevoh Chalobah's contrasting fortunes
Andrey Santos's new chapter has not started so well. The Brazilian moved to Manchester United in July for £48m, potentially rising to £52m with add-ons. Santos has played just three times, totalling only 83 minutes of Premier League football for the Red Devils, who have had a less-than-ideal start under Michael Carrick. He has not impressed and faces a fight to start more regularly after sitting on the bench for two weekends in a row.
Trevoh Chalobah, sold to Como after spending most of his career at Chelsea, has made an early impression in Italy. He played the full 90 minutes in their maiden Champions League fixture, a 4-3 win over RB Leipzig. Head coach Cesc Fabregas has played him for the full 90 in four of Como's first five Serie A matches, benching him in the other. His form earned him a call-up for England's four Nations League games during the current international window, and he hopes to add to his two senior caps.
Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap impressing
One of the most impressive starts away from Stamford Bridge belongs to Nicolas Jackson. The striker's loan move to Bayern Munich last term never became permanent, and Chelsea eventually sold him to Aston Villa for £65m. Jackson has been a handful for defenders facing Unai Emery's side. He netted the third of Villa's goals in their 3-2 win over Club Brugge on Champions League opening night, and his volleyed finish last weekend helped Villa beat Spurs in the Premier League by the same scoreline.
Liam Delap, who netted only three times in his one season in west London, has already looked sharper and happier at Nottingham Forest. Forest paid a premium for the Englishman, committing £45m plus £5m in potential add-ons. Delap scored a stunning goal from range that helped Forest earn a 2-1 away win at Villa and was bright throughout. He has, however, been booked in both of their last two games.
Others struggling to make an impact
Tosin Adarabioyo, sold to Tottenham in the final days of the transfer window along with Mykhailo Mudryk, has had limited action. He came on for the final five minutes of the goalless draw with Everton, and that has been the extent of his Premier League action for Spurs so far. His only other appearance was the full 90 minutes of Tottenham's 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round defeat by Liverpool.
Tyrique George, a Cobham academy graduate, returned to Everton, where he spent the second half of last season on loan. He has started regularly on the left flank for David Moyes, and in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, he lashed the ball into the top corner with an unerring finish. Everton expect big things of the 20-year-old England Under-21s winger in the years to come.
