Midfielder Danny Drinkwater has confirmed his departure from Chelsea with a brutal statement that claims he is “disappointed” and apologises to fans for how his spell turned out. The exit comes five years after his move to the Blues.
The transfer from Leicester came in 2017, one year on from the Foxes’ unlikely title triumph, with Chelsea taking that crown from them that season. It was also the summer after boss Antonio Conte managed to sign N’Golo Kante from the champions in a deal that took his side to the next level.
That was a feat the Italian tried to recreate, signing Drinkwater for roughly £35million. It was one that didn’t work very well, making just 23 competitive appearances for the club as well as countless loan moves.
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His latest spell was with Championship side Reading, where he just about managed to keep the Royals in the division. In that one season, he made 34 appearances, his third-most at any side in his career.
The 32-year-old is now set to be a free agent and confirmed his departure with a brutal statement on social media. He said: “My time @Chelseafc has come to an end… actually feels really weird writing this.
“Me, the club and the fans are hugely disappointed with the outcome there is no doubt about that. Injuries, how I have been treated, mistakes I have made, issues of the pitch, lack of game time… the list of excuses could be endless but I would not and can not change what's happened.
“I'm going to look at positives over the past 5 years, I have played with great players, coached by awesome managers, worked with some brilliant staff, met some fantastic people, lived in some beautiful places, travelled the world and won some more silverware. Footballs a fantastic sport but this for both parties was a business move gone wrong, it's as black and white as that.
“To the @chelseafc fans I apologise for how this has turned out I would of loved for u to see me at my best in that shirt doing what I love. All the best x.”
A number of Chelsea players took to social media afterwards to wish him luck in the next chapter of his career. Where that will be remains to be seen.
