Chelsea continue to be an enigma this season.
Mauricio Pochettino's men can bounce from a brilliant result to a terrible one and back again in a couple of weeks.
The Argentine has a promising squad at his disposal but hasn't been able to crack it this year, although the absence of club captain Reece James for large parts of the campaign hasn't helped.
The fan favourite is one of the Blues' best players, but his inability to stay fit has seen his value tumble, and now he's worth less than a star who left west London in 2021, who Pochettino probably wishes didn't.
Reece James' transfer value at Chelsea
James joined the Blues' academy as a youngster, and after spending several years battling through the various youth sides and moving from striker to defence, he was loaned to Wigan Athletic for the 2018/19 campaign.
The Redbridge-born gem thrived with the Latics, scoring three goals and providing three assists in 46 games before returning to Stamford Bridge in the summer and transitioning into the first team after recovering from an ankle injury.
GK – Willy Caballero
RB – Reece James
CB – Marc Guehi
CB – Kurt Zouma
LB – Marcos Alonso
CM – Ross Barkley
CM – Billy Gilmour
RM – Christian Pulisic
LM – Callum Hudson-Odoi
CAM – Pedro
ST – Michy Batshuayi
In his first season with the Pensioners, the 5-foot-10 defender made 37 appearances, scored two goals, provided three assists, and established himself as one of the most exciting full-backs in English football.
In all, the 24-year-old has made 156 appearances for the Blues, scored 11 goals, provided 21 assists and won the Champions League, but there has been one significant problem: his injury record.
Across the five seasons he has regularly played for the club, James has missed 111 games or 561 days of action due to 18 separate injuries.
This genuinely concerning record has seen his value collapse in recent years. Football Transfers' expected value model priced the Englishman at around €68m, or £58m, in May of last year, whereas it now prices him at around €40m, which is about £34m.
James' dramatic fall in price has seen a former Chelsea defender, and one Pochettino could surely use at the moment, surge past him in value.
Fikayo Tomori's transfer value in 2024
Yes, the player in question is fellow England international and Cobham graduate Fikayo Tomori.
Just like James, the Calgary-born wall fought his way through Chelsea's various youth sides before being sent on several loans to Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City, and finally Derby County, where he caught the eye of Frank Lampard.
When the Chelsea legend was named the club's new manager for the 2019/20 season, one of his first decisions was to bring the 6 foot 1 titan into the first-team squad. Over the course of that season, he made 22 appearances.
However, the "fantastic" gem, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, couldn't quite nail down a starting spot, made just four appearances in the first half of the following season, and opted to join AC Milan on loan in January.
Tomori decided to remain in Milan that summer after the Italians activated the £25m buy option in his deal. He has since made 132 appearances for the Rossoneri, playing a vital role in the club's first Scudetto triumph in 11 years.
Date
Valuation
July 2018
€5m (£4m)
January 2021
€27m (£23m)
July 2021
€32m (£27m)
September 2022
€38m (£32m)
April 2023
€42m (£36m)
November 2023
€46m (£39m)
March 2024
€42m (£36m)
His consistently impressive performances for the red and black half of Milan have seen his value steadily rise over the last few years. Football Transfers' expected value model priced the five-capped international at €32m, about £27m, when he made his move to Italy and at €42m, or about £35m now, slightly higher than James'.
Chelsea could sell "unlucky" ace who earns 4x more than Gallagher
The talented star has cost the Blues a lot of money over the years.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 12, 2024
Ultimately, while Tomori's decision to leave Chelsea in 2021 has worked out brilliantly for him, there is every chance he would've become the Blues' star defender had he stayed.