Chelsea may have missed out on a big payday as Thorgan Hazard’s value has skyrocketed during his time in Germany.
According to a CIES Football Observatory report, the Borussia Dortmund winger is valued at €57.3million (£51.7million), more than seven times what Chelsea sold him for five years ago.
The Blues deemed Hazard surplus to requirements in the summer of 2014 and allowed him to join Borussia Monchengladbach on loan.
The German club were given an option to make the deal permanent for just €8million (£7.2million) and exercised it in February 2015.
After impressing at Monchengladbach, Dortmund signed the Belgian for €25.7m last summer and Hazard has gone from strength to strength, more than doubling his value in the past twelve months.
Chelsea’s loan system has helped them profit off several rising stars, although it appears they let Hazard go a little too early.
The 27-year-old may even be following in the footsteps of older brother Eden in becoming one of the continent’s brightest stars.
Despite several transfer market successes, the Blues do have a history when it comes to letting top talent leave Stamford Bridge early.
Kevin De Bruyne departed for Wolfsburg in 2014 for £18m before going on to become one of the world’s best players.
Romelu Lukaku, meanwhile, left the club for £28m before Everton sold him on to Manchester United for £75m three years later.
And Mohamed Salah left west London for Roma for just €15m in 2015. The Liverpool man is now valued at €144.9m by CIES.
With Pedro leaving Chelsea at the end of his contract this summer, the Blues are in need of a winger of Hazard’s calibre.
And with football’s finances thrown into chaos this summer due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the club may wonder whether they should have held on to the younger Hazard a little longer.
