Chelsea have agreed to sell promising teenager Ishe Samuels-Smith to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg for €6.5 million, marking the club’s latest move in what’s becoming yet another remarkably profitable summer of outgoings.
Though only 19, Samuels-Smith is a highly rated talent. But as with many others at Chelsea, potential alone isn’t always enough to secure a long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
Profiting From Short Spells
His sale follows a flurry of high-profile exits. Joao Felix was the most expensive, leaving for Al-Nassr in a deal reportedly worth around €43.7 million. The Portuguese international had arrived last summer and never quite settled, but Chelsea still managed to make a profit on a player who only spent one season in London.
There was also the sale of Noni Madueke, who joined Arsenal in a saga that went on during Chelsea’s successful Club World Cup campaign.
The England winger, still only 23, was sold for around £48.5 million, with add-ons potentially pushing the fee above £50 million.
Either Madueke pushed for a move or his flashes of brilliance weren’t enough to convince Chelsea’s hierarchy. But either way, the deal was done, and Chelsea made profit from yet another player..
Goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Djordje Petrovic were also sold this summer. Kepa, once the most expensive goalkeeper in history, joined Arsenal for just £5 million. Petrovic fetched a more impressive fee – around £25 million – after impressing on loan at Strasbourg last season.
Still More To Go
But Chelsea aren’t done yet. The club are actively looking to sell several more players before the window shuts.
Raheem Sterling, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Armando Broja are all on the market. Whether it’s to raise funds, trim the wage bill, or simply reshape the squad, there’s little hesitation about moving on from even relatively recent signings.
In most cases, Chelsea are getting good money. And that’s where the real story lies.
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Efficiency That’s Been Years in the Making
For years, Chelsea were better known for their lavish spending than for shrewd selling. But that perception has shifted – gradually, then suddenly.
It didn’t start this summer. Back in 2023, the club raked in close to £250 million in one window alone, offloading academy graduates like Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, along with the likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, and Edouard Mendy.
That particular spree of exits not only brought in massive fees, but helped reset the wage structure and trim a bloated squad.
What we’re seeing now, though, feels like an even more polished version of that model.
It’s not just about selling – it’s about doing so decisively.
Joao Felix was signed permanently in the summer of 2024. Noni Madueke was signed in early 2023. Petrovic never even got a real run at Stamford Bridge. Yet in each case, Chelsea have walked away with tidy profits or minimal losses.
This summer alone, sales have already topped £160 million. And that figure could climb further if moves for Sterling, Disasi, Broja and others go through.
Chelsea might once have been the face of reckless investment – but in 2025, they’re showing everyone how to sell, and buy.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportimage
Recording Date: 21.09.2024