Chelsea: 5 Cobham graduates they might regret selling this time

Last Updated on 28 November 2025

Chelsea’s academy has never stopped producing world-class talent. From Champions League winners to England internationals, Cobham has become a footballing goldmine.

But with every summer window comes the familiar cycle: Chelsea’s need to balance the books, and a new wave of young stars quietly pushed toward the exit.

Sometimes it works out. Sometimes those players fade away. But other times? Chelsea end up watching their own academy products shine somewhere else, wondering how they ever slipped through the cracks.

These are the latest five names that are already making Chelsea regret their decision or will do so, in the near future.

5 – Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

Chelsea’s current struggles at centerback would not be highlighted as often as they are, if they had kept a hold of Marc Guehi.

The current Crystal Palace captain has been one of the most impressive defenders in the league over the last couple of seasons. He is a natural leader and a consistent performer, putting in great shifts with his quality on and off the ball.

Chelsea sold him to Crystal Palace for less than £20 million, after making only two appearances for the Blues, as per the Guardian.

Palace could pocket more than that for Guehi, with less than six months left on his contract, with Liverpool expected to pay around £25 million in January for his services.

4 – Tino Livramento (Newcastle United)

Having been named Chelsea’s academy player of the year for the 2020-21 season, everyone knew just how big a talent Tino Livramento was.

Unfortunately, Chelsea could not agree a new contract with the youngster joining Southampton for peanuts. Despite an ACL injury, Livramento established himself as a fantastic fullback, earning a move to Newcastle United for roughly £40 million.

At Newcastle, the 22-year-old has taken the next step in his development. Perfectly capable of playing rightback and leftback, Livramento is a mainstay in Eddie Howe’s team and was subject to interest from Manchester City in the summer of 2025.

3 – Lewis Hall (Newcastle United)

The current first-team fullback pairing at St. James Park consists of two Cobham graduates, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall.

Like Livramento, Hall also won the Chelsea Academy Player of the Year award, but for 2023, and would go on to make 11 appearances for the Blues. But BlueCo issued his sale to Newcastle United to ‘balance the books’ in August 2023.

It was an initial loan with an obligation to buy for a fee rising to £35 million. Over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, Hall cemented his place as the starting leftback and has been a revelation for Eddie Howe.

2 – Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool)

Rio Ngumoha was a major regret for Chelsea because they were furious with Liverpool after the Reds convinced the teenager to sign for them.

John Terry believes Ngumoha will become a top, top player and so far his prediction seems to be accurate.

The 17-year-old scored a winner at St James Park in the 99th minute. And he has been one of the most exciting players coming off the bench to instill some energy up-top for Liverpool.

Chelsea were so angry with Liverpool for stealing Ngumoha that they banned their scouts from attending matches.

1 – Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)

One of the biggest names in world football, Jamal Musiala, came through the ranks at Cobham Academy.

But aged 16, Musiala left Chelsea to join Bayern Munich in 2019, which was considered a major loss for the London club.

Musiala has been Bayern Munich and Germany’s crown jewel. Eligible to play for both England and Germany, the youngster chose to play for the German national team, reflecting how Chelsea’s loss also became England’s loss.