Rio Ferdinand has explained why Chelsea were wrong to offload Mateo Kovacic. Ahead of the summer transfer window, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley were given the brutal task of conducting a mass exodus at Stamford Bridge, trimming down a bloated squad ready for the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues began by allowing N'Golo Kante to accept a lucrative offer in Saudi Arabia following the expiration of his contract. Then, Chelsea decided to cash-in on Kovacic, who had just one-year remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge, accepting an offer from Manchester City.
The 29-year-old midfielder played a major role in the west Londoners' recent success, but his performances began to tail off following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel. And, with a growing risk of losing him for free, Chelsea decided to recuperate £25million, including £5million in add-ons.
