Chelsea are notoriously hit and miss in the transfer market, certainly holding their fair share of failed dealings but utilising their affluence effectively enough over the past few decades.
Indeed, having won scores of major honours since the turn of the millennia, including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues, there is plenty to remain optimistic about in the life of a Blues supporter.
However, one failure on the transfer front that might haunt Stamford Bridge for years to come is the defeat in the race to sign Achraf Hakimi in 2021, with a heated contest for his signature between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain resulting in the latter emerging victorious in a £60m deal to bring him to the Parc des Princes.
Since joining PSG, the 24-year-old has made 62 appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting nine, winning the 2021/22 Ligue 1 and the French Super Cup.
This season, the ace has made 21 showings, scoring three goals and assists apiece as the club search for that coveted maiden Champions League trophy to complement the scores of domestic triumphs.
Morocco’s monumental push for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was a further indication of Chelsea’s misfortune in failing to lure the player to west London; the African nation were defeated by France in the World Cup semi-finals, ending a historic charge for glory unprecedented on African soil.
As per Sofascore, the former Real Madrid man recorded a rating of 7.0, playing an integral role for his side and flourishing down the right.
Registering one assist and proving to be an incessant thorn in his opponent’s sides, Hakimi averaged 0.7 shots per match and completed 83% of his passes, also winning 55% (7.0 per outing) of his total duels.
And despite earning plaudits for his attacking efforts, it was actually on the defensive side of the spectrum that Hakimi truly shone, like a lurid lamplight in front of his foes, preventing and blinding them from making meaningful progress; he averaged 3.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per outing, keeping three clean sheets.
The blow of seeing the “brilliant” phenom, as lauded by Oliver Holt, slip through the Blues’ fingers like sand will indeed have stung, but been somewhat buffered by the knowledge that Reece James continues to ply his trade in Chelsea colours.
Regardless, owning two of the game’s most talented would have resulted in a force down the right flank that could stake its claim against any throughout Europe.
So, Chelsea will have lamented the failure to bring him to the Bridge last year, and for a player who “made history” – in the words of Kylian Mbappe – at the World Cup, the rueful gaze returns.
Chelsea will move on, as football always does, but fans are now reminded of what could have been.
