Exclusive says Chelsea could break their rules to re-sign player they sold for just £9m | OneFootball

We’ve moaned plenty over the years about Chelsea selling talented academy players and later regretting it.

The club are regularly linked with deals to bring some of them back – Marc Guehi has been mentioned in that vein almost ever since he left.

Some are very obvious – Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento tearing it up for Newcastle and winning a trophy this weekend just passed, for example.

But this was one we never expected to come back around and haunt us – Ola Aina has been slowly and steadily building a really great career since going on loan to Hull City and then leaving us for Torino for £9m in 2019.

The full back only ever made 6 first team appearances for us after being part of a historically good academy team, and there were no real complaints when he left. But his form over the last two seasons at Nottingham Forest has shown that he’s really developed into a top defender.

Aina not part of the usual plan – but Blues could make an exception

Ola Aina in action for Nottingham Forest. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Now 28, he’s at his peak and we’re delighted to see him shine in the Premier League. And we’re not surprised to see rumours about a return. Graeme Bailey at TBR Football says the versatile No.34 is a target because his contract runs out this summer.

Forest can unilaterally add an extra year to make it a deal until 2026, but even then he will be into his final 12 months and available at a discount.

Signing 28 year olds is not really part of our current model, but if they can be picked up super cheap, are versatile, have low wage demands and are fully home grown – maybe the club will make an exception? We saw Tosin Adarabioyo come in last summer on a free at 27, and this wouldn’t be so different to that.