Chelsea has undergone a complete overhaul; only captain Reece James remains from their 2021 Champions League winning squad after four years.

Every club must deal with squad renewal, and in this regard, Chelsea might be the best in the Premier League. While changes in owners and coaches are expected, the complete overhaul of Chelsea’s squad remains exceptional in the football world.

Chelsea’s former left-back and ex-England internationalChilwellmutually ended his contract and moved to Strasbourg, Chelsea’s affiliated club in France’s Ligue 1, before the summer window shut, with no transfer fee involved.

With Chilwell’s permanent departure from Chelsea, only captain Reece James remains from the 2021 Champions League winning squad, including both starters and substitutes. The rest of the Champions League winners have all left the club. In just four years, from 2021 to 2025, Chelsea has replaced every player except captain Reece James—a renewal so intense it can only be described as a “hurricane,” a total transformation.

Chelsea’s current strategy is to buy and sell a large number of players; the club excels at business, fetching high prices for players they no longer need. For example, this summer’s deals include Maduake joining Arsenal and Jackson breaking the loan record to join Bayern—classic cases. Although Chelsea has completely refreshed their squad, their performance remains solid: they won the UEFA Europa Conference League last season, secured fourth place in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League, and this summer defeated the treble winners Paris Saint-Germain to claim the 2025 Club World Cup, showcasing remarkable success.