Which young stars have clubs regretted letting go?
Players come and go endlessly between clubs, and bigger clubs especially have to make ruthless decisions about which youngsters are up to it and which aren’t.
These players all made the sides that let them go feel foolish within a very space of time.
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5) Paul Pogba – Manchester United to Juventus
Pogba left because United wouldn’t give him any time on the pitch, and according to Rio Ferdinand, it can be traced to one game in particular.
In December 2011, the midfielder-less Red Devils lost 3-2 to Blackburn Rovers and the Frenchman didn’t get a single minute on the pitch.
4) Gary Cahill – Aston Villa to Bolton Wanderers
Gary Cahill broke into the Villa team and did well in 2006/07, but by next season Martin O’Neill preferred Martin Laursen, Curtis Davies and Zat Knight to the youngster.
Four years later, Cahill was lifting the Champions League.
3) Ryan Shawcross – Manchester United to Stoke City
Another youngster the Red Devils let slip through their fingers, Sir Alex Ferguson later revealed his regret at letting the centre-back go, claiming he would have kept him at United if he’d known Gerard Pique wanted to return to FC Barcelona.
2) Kevin de Bruyne – Chelsea to Wolfsburg
Time will tell how just much the Blues regret this move, but since his transfer to Wolfsburg was made permanent last January, the Belgian attacker has gone from strength to strength and leads the Bundesliga in key passes this season.
1) Daniel Sturridge – Manchester City to Chelsea, Chelsea to Liverpool
Two clubs in a row let Sturridge go too soon. City undervalued him and let his contract run out, so that he was able to join the West Londoners for a nominal fee.
The beneficiaries of this mistake, then made the same error themselves, allowing the England international to move to Anfield for around £12m.
The striker is likely worth at least twice that now.