Chelsea may have repeated past mistakes by sanctioning the sales of Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi this summer.
As Thomas Tuchel shapes his squad during his first transfer window as manager, outgoings have made more headlines than incomings.
After Fikayo Tomori impressed at AC Milan last season, the Serie A giants triggered the £25million buy-out clause in his contract.
Fans have disapproved of Tomori’s permanent departure after a promising start to life in the Chelsea first-team.
On Thursday, Crystal Palace agreed a fee potentially worth £20m for another young Chelsea defender, Marc Guehi.
The 21-year-old thrived in two loan stints at Swansea City, and many supporters considered him the future of Chelsea’s defence.
With two high-profile departures in one window, there is a lingering concern that the Blues may be repeating the same mistakes.
In 2014, Chelsea sold Kevin De Bruyne to Wolfsburg for £18m, a year before he completed a £55m move to Manchester City.
At the Etihad Stadium, he has developed into one of Europe’s best midfielders and been a thorn in Chelsea’s side on numerous occasions.
2014 also saw Romelu Lukaku shipped off to Everton for £28m, but he’s enjoyed a meteoric rise since then.
He’s now accumulated over £180m in transfer fees, is Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer and one of the most prolific strikers in Europe.
In Tomori and Guehi, there is a genuine feeling that Chelsea could be letting two top-class talents slip through their fingers again.
Another worry is that among Tuchel’s current crop of centre-backs, notable names are approaching the end of their contracts.
Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva’s deals all expire next year, whilst Kurt Zouma and Ethan Ampadu’s run out in 2023.
Sure, Chelsea receiving almost £50m for two academy products is a positive thing, especially in a COVID-19-damaged period.
However, it seems like Chelsea may regret it, with reported centre-back targets quickly disappearing.
Sergio Ramos has gone to Paris Saint-Germain, whilst Raphael Varane is Manchester United-bound.
Arsenal are also closing in on Brighton’s Ben White, leaving a limited number of targets to go for.
It would be questionable to doubt Tuchel’s planning after such an impressive start at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea’s business so far has left plenty of intrigue.