Danny Drinkwater has revealed he was given just one hour to leave Chelsea during Maurizio Sarri’s reign. Signed for £45 million from Leicester in 2017, Drinkwater made only 12 Premier League appearances due to injuries and poor form.
With Sarri’s arrival in 2018, competition intensified as Chelsea added Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic to an already crowded midfield featuring Cesc Fabregas, N’Golo Kante, and Ross Barkley. Despite warnings from Cesar Azpilicueta, Drinkwater chose to stay. On transfer deadline day, he was abruptly told by Sarri to find a new club, with offers mainly from Italian teams.
Having a young son, Drinkwater declined to leave England, deciding to remain a fringe player. His career further declined with unsuccessful loans to Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa, and Reading. Drinkwater eventually retired in 2023 at age 33. His post-football ventures also struggled, with losses in the restaurant business amounting to £782,000.
Chelsea performance and stats
Chelsea
Chelsea is currently 4th in the Premier League with 49 points.
In the last 29 games, it has won 14 times, drew 7 times, and lost 8 times. In its last match, Chelsea lost 1-0 against Arsenal.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 53 goals and conceding 37.
Chelsea will play the next match in Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday 3rd of April in London.
