THREE players Chelsea should cash in on

Every year, many teams are faced with the difficult decision of when is the right time to sell a player. Every player will reach his highest value at some point in their career, and it’s up to each club’s personnel department to decide when that is.

Chelsea’s Fernando Torres is a perfect example of this: in 2011, Liverpool decided the then 27-year-old’s value outweighed his performance, and agreed to sell him to Chelsea for a then Premier League record £50m. This is an example of selling high on a player.

But often teams allow a player to enter a decline that causes him to lose value and, thus, money that can be had via a transfer. If Chelsea were to attempt to sell Torres today, they would be lucky to fetch half of what they bought him for. A similar situation happened last year when Chelsea were forced to sell Juan Mata when his value was low.

No Chelsea fan wants this to happen to their club again, so here are THREE players Chelsea should sell high if given the opportunity.

Oscar

This may be a surprise to many fans, as Oscar is one of the best young stars in the game. But Jose Mourinho has recently been less than convinced Oscar will eventually live up to his potential.

The 21-year-old’s play was a big reason why Mourinho decided to sell Mata to Manchester United, yet his play slipped almost immediately upon taking over. He managed only two assists in Premier League play last season, a figure that won’t be good enough for a regular number 10, the position that Mourinho hopes to deploy him in.

Mourinho signed another star, Cesc Fabregas, capable of playing the “10”, and also favours Andre Schürrle on the wing opposite Eden Hazard. If Oscar isn’t careful, his inconsistent play could see him sitting on the bench. It would serve Mourinho well to consider looking at options for him if he gets off to a good start early next season.

Fernando Torres

Torres has often been viewed as a £50m mistake since joining Chelsea, and rightfully so. In 172 matches since joining the Blues, the Spanish striker has managed just 45 goals. Not exactly getting the most bank for your buck, is it?

But what happens if he gets off to a quick start next season? Most believe the talent is still there, a factor that could raise his value significantly.

Despite turning 31 in March, Torres could still have something left in the tank, and it only takes one team to offer a ridiculous price for a player. It would be shocking to recoup anything close to what they gave up for him, but they could do worse than selling him after a quick start to the campaign.

Romelu Lukaku

Despite all of the hype surrounding this Belgian’s possible return to Chelsea, it hasn’t happened in two full seasons. The 21-year-old played in 10 games for Chelsea in 2011 without scoring a goal, and has since spent the last two years on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Everton.

He has battled inconsistency throughout his career, even being demoted from Belgium’s starting XI in favour of Liverpool target Divock Origi at the World Cup, but no one can deny he is an immense talent.

The question then comes down to whether or not he ever wants to return to Chelsea. If Mourinho feels as though he doesn’t, another good campaign abroad could be the tipping point that forces him out of town.