Gary Neville listed the Chelsea forwards (flops) Graham Potter has at his disposal as he hailed a World Cup star who escaped Stamford Bridge.
Neville was full of admiration for young players coming through academies in England who have left at a young age to further their careers abroad.
Jadon Sancho left Manchester City for Dortmund before returning to the Premier League with Manchester United, Jude Bellingham opted for Dortmund over Manchester United and Jamal Musiala, who was in the Chelsea youth setup, left for Bayern Munich as a 16-year-old.
He told beIN Sports: “I admire these lads that leave. Sancho leaving [Man City], Musiala leaving… that they are willing to go to Germany, to Dortmund and to Bayern Munich, and experience that different level.
“Bellingham at Birmingham. Manchester United had Bellingham in the building. In front of all the top brass at Man United, and he chose to go to Dortmund. But look at him now.”
Musiala has been in stunning form for Bayern this season, notching 12 goals and 10 assists, and has been Germany’s standout player in Qatar.
And Neville suggested Chelsea may now be rueing their decision to let him leave for the German giants with the majority of the players they have or have had in his position failing to make a significant contribution.
He added: “Chelsea have Pulisic, Havertz, they had Werner. There are loads of them [attacking midfielders/forwards], isn’t there? Mount, Ziyech, Gallagher. They have six players in the position of Musiala’s.
“They are probably thinking, ‘We are okay’, a year or two ago. Managers at Chelsea couldn’t wait two or three years to bring something through, anyway.”
Chelsea are thought to be close to securing another star player to add to their forward ranks in the summer with a deal for Christopher Nkunku all but wrapped up.
And they could let Christian Pulisic go to make room for the Frenchman.
Chelsea are ‘weighing up whether to cash in on the 24-year-old during the January window rather than allow his contract to run down to the final 12 months’.
It is also ‘anticipated’ that Chelsea ‘will look for around £35m’ for Pulisic in January. The report adds that the player and club ‘do not want a loan deal’.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle are all thought to be keen on the USA international.
