Danny Drinkwater described his move to Chelsea as “a business deal gone wrong” as the midfielder announced he would be leaving the club.
The 32-year-old joined Chelsea for £35 million in 2017 — on a contract believed to be worth in excess of £100,000 a week — but made only 23 appearances in a disappointing five-year spell, including only 12 in the Premier League.
His last game for the club was in the 2018 Community Shield and he went out on loan four times to Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa in Turkey and most recently to Reading.
Drinkwater cited injuries and off-field issues as reasons for why his career at Stamford Bridge did not work out. He was banned from driving for 20 months and given 70 hours of community service after admitting to drink-driving in 2019.
He wrote on his Instagram yesterday: “My time at Chelsea has come to an end . . . actually feels really strange writing this. Me, the club and fans are hugely disappointed with the outcome, there is no doubt about that.
“Injuries, how I have been treated, mistakes I made, lack of game time . . . the list of excuses could be endless but I would not and cannot change what’s happened.
“I’m going to look at positives over the past five 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.
“Football’s a fantastic sport but this for both parties was a business move gone wrong, it’s as black and white as that. To the Chelsea fans, I apologise for how this has turned out.”
Drinkwater, who began his career at Manchester United but did not make a senior appearance for the club, rose to prominence at Leicester City where he was a key member of their Premier League-winning side in 2015-16.
He formed a formidable midfield partnership at the King Power Stadium with N’Golo Kanté, who moved to Chelsea in 2016.
