3) Kevin De Bruyne
Another Belgian harshly treated by Chelsea, Kevin De Bruyne was allowed to leave for Wolfsburg last January and has since become regarded as one of the finest attacking midfielders in the Bundesliga, and perhaps Europe.
De Bruyne has more assists than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, with 17, and it’s clear to see that regular first team football has done his development a lot of good.
The 23 year-old was only given nine games by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, but had he had more of a chance to impress, the most creative player in Europe could still be at Stamford Bridge.
4) Carlos Vela
Despite looking like a top class forward since moving to La Liga with Real Sociedad, Mexico international Carlos Vela was not able to work his way into the Arsenal team. A series of tremendous chipped finishes in the League Cup never translated to playing time in the Premier League, and it wasn’t surprising to see Vela depart in search of playing time. In the past three full seasons, Vela has scored 42 goals and provided 28 assists in La Liga – meaning he’s directly contributed to 70 goals in 107 league matches since leaving Emirates Stadium.
What may have proved particularly frustrating for Vela was that inconsistent performers like Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott – both English, of course – were given chance after chance to prove themselves – and neither of them have come close to fulfilling their potential yet.