Amid the panic, hustle and bustle of deadline day, Chelsea letting go of one of their biggest recent hopes will have gone under the radar.
With Billy Gilmour agreeing a £9million deal with Brighton, Ethan Ampadu heading to Spezia and plenty of incoming drama with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Edson Alvarez occupying most of the attention, a player once billed as the 'next Virgil van Dijk' quietly announced his own departure from the club.
After being one of the most high-profile 18-year-old signings in 2020, Xavier Mbuyamba's Chelsea career never got started and now he will be heading back to the Netherlands in order to develop as a player.
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The former Barcelona starlet was snapped up by Chelsea in 2020 and was greeted warmly by excited fans that saw him as the future of the Blues defence. As has so often been the case with young defensive stars at Chelsea, it never quite worked out.
Mbuyamba's case was always a little bit different to other departures that have happened in recent years with Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi. The now 20-year-old joined with an injury and would only play five matches the season after signing, all for the Under-23s.
Now that he has agreed a three-year contract, with an option of a further year, with FC Volendam in the Eredivisie there is still a chance to revive what was once a very promising youth career. Having been elevated into first team training under Thomas Tuchel last season he didn't go on to play a senior game for Chelsea, and has now penned his goodbye message to those who followed his progress. He wrote: "Thank you @ChelseaFC It’s been a pleasure to represent this club, make new friends, experience life in London and train with some of the best players in the world.
"Unfortunately it didn’t quite go to plan, following 2 surgeries and more challenges, but I’ve learn a lot to take into the next chapter of my career. Thanks to everyone who made me feel at home. The fans, the players and staff. I wish you all the best this season and beyond!"
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