Midfielder Danny Drinkwater has confirmed he will leave Chelsea at the end of the season, five years on from signing for the Blues. The Englishman left Leicester City, with whom he won his maiden Premier League title, to join the London-based outfit for a fee believed to be in the region of 35 million pounds in 2017.
However, injuries, poor form, and managerial preferences meant that Drinkwater would only make 23 appearances during his five-year association with the club, a lot of which he spent out on loan at different clubs.
In an Instagram post, the 32-year-old called the transfer a “business move gone wrong”, but apologized to the Chelsea faithful for it not working out.
“Me, the club, and fans are hugely disappointed with the outcome there is no doubt about that.
“Injuries, how I have been treated, mistakes I have made, issues of the pitch, lack of game time… the list of excuses could be endless but I would not and can not change what’s happened.
“I’m going to look at positives over the past 5 years, I have played with great players, coached by awesome managers, worked with some brilliant staff, met some fantastic people, lived in some beautiful places, traveled the world, and won some more silverware,”
he wrote.
While at Chelsea, Drinkwater was loaned to Premier League sides Burnley and then Aston Villa for a half each of the 2019/20 season. Later, in January 2021, the midfielder was sent abroad to Turkey, where he signed for Super Lig side Kasimpasa for half a season.
Six months further forward, the former Leicester man dropped down a division to join Reading for the 2021/22 campaign; he feaured 24 times for the Royals and scored one goal across all competitions as they narrowly avoided relegation.
Drinkwater’s exit means five of the six Chelsea summer signings in 2017 have left the club. The Blues cut ties with Davide Zappacosta, Alvaro Morata, and Willy Caballero previously, while Antonio Rudiger has confirmed that he, too, will leave the club this summer.
The Blues still have Tiemoue Bakayoko on their books on a contract until 2024 – but the Frenchman hasn’t made a first-team appearance since 2018.
