They were foolish for selling him, they sold him for just £17M and now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world”- Former Chelsea Boss Mauricio Pochettino says player Premier league club sold for £17M in 2019 is now an absolute world class and has turned into a beast.
They were foolish for selling him, they sold him for just £17M and now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world!” — Pochettino can’t believe what this former Premier League flop has become!
BREAKING NEWS: Mauricio Pochettino has sparked a major debate after making a jaw-dropping statement about a player who was once considered a fringe asset in the Premier League. Sold for a measly £17 million back in 2019, this player has now evolved into a footballing monster, earning global recognition and being widely regarded as one of the very best in the world today.
Speaking in a recent interview, the former Chelsea boss didn’t mince his words:
“They were foolish for selling him,” Pochettino said. “They sold him for just £17M and now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world.”
While Pochettino didn’t name the club outright, fans were quick to connect the dots — and it didn’t take long for one name to dominate social media: Moussa Diaby. The French winger was sold by Paris Saint-Germain to Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 for exactly £17 million. Since then, Diaby has exploded onto the scene, combining blistering pace with elite-level end product and a work rate that most wingers only dream of. He’s become a regular for the French national team and is now starring in the Premier League, after his big-money move to Aston Villa — where he’s terrorized defenses and left full-backs in shambles.
But there’s another name that’s been thrown around — and it’s even more mind-blowing: Serge Gnabry. Once discarded by Arsenal for a similar fee and mocked during a loan spell at West Brom, Gnabry has gone on to win everything at Bayern Munich and is now a Champions League winner and Bundesliga star. Pochettino’s words fit both narratives.
And yet, regardless of which name Pochettino was truly referring to, the message is the same: Premier League clubs have a habit of giving up too soon. These are players who were written off, undervalued, or simply not given enough time. Now? They’re world-beaters.
This comment from Pochettino has re-ignited the debate on poor transfer decisions, and how some English clubs are quick to offload young talent without the patience to see them flourish. Fans are furious. Scouts are embarrassed. And former managers who let these talents go are hiding behind closed doors, wishing they’d seen what the world sees now.
Mauricio Pochettino’s explosive comments have reopened an age-old wound in English football: **selling elite talent too soon.** And with just **seven words — “They were foolish for selling him”** — he’s reignited a storm of reflection and regret over some of the **worst transfer misjudgments** in modern Premier League history.
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### 💥 Who *Exactly* Was Pochettino Talking About?
While Pochettino didn’t name the player, **two frontrunners** have emerged as the likely subjects of his bold claim:
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### 🔥 **Moussa Diaby**
* **Sold by**: Paris Saint-Germain
* **Fee**: £17 million to Bayer Leverkusen (2019)
* **Now at**: Aston Villa (signed for \~£52m)
* **Status**: France international, Premier League star, one of the most dangerous wingers in Europe.
➡️ Diaby’s *meteoric rise* has stunned many. He went from a fringe PSG talent to **dominating the Bundesliga**, and now, at Aston Villa, is tearing apart Premier League defenses. His pace, composure, and delivery are elite-tier.
> Fans say: *”PSG lost the next Mbappe while they had him in the building.”*
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### 🚀 **Serge Gnabry**
* **Sold by**: Arsenal
* **Fee**: Around £5m to Werder Bremen (2016)
* **Now at**: Bayern Munich
* **Status**: Champions League winner, multiple Bundesliga titles, key player for Germany.
➡️ Gnabry is the **poster boy for the “Premier League gave up too soon” story**. Famously mocked by Tony Pulis at West Brom, he’s now one of Bayern’s most reliable goal threats and a proven big-game performer.
> Pochettino’s quote certainly applies: *“Now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world.”*
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### ⚖️ Who Was It Really?
While **Diaby fits the transfer fee** (£17M) and recent Premier League emergence, **Gnabry fits the “flop-to-world-beater” arc more dramatically.** Diaby is elite — but *the* best in the world? Possibly a stretch. Gnabry has **Champions League medals, tournament-winning pedigree, and global acclaim**.
Still, it’s possible Pochettino was speaking more **symbolically** — to highlight **a pattern** of misjudgment in modern football.
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### 📉 Premier League’s Recurring Mistake
Pochettino’s words tap into a deeper issue:
🔻 **Premier League clubs too often lack patience.**
🔻 Talented youngsters are cast aside if they don’t deliver instantly.
🔻 Scouting focuses on **ready-made stars**, not **long-term development**.
> Think of:
>
> * **Jadon Sancho** (left Man City, became a Dortmund star)
> * **Tariq Lamptey** (Chelsea → Brighton)
> * **Declan Rice** (released by Chelsea at 14!)
> * **Kevin De Bruyne & Mohamed Salah** (Chelsea cast-offs, now PL legends)
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### ⚠️ What Pochettino Really Meant
More than just a comment on one player, this is a **warning shot** to English clubs:
> “Give talent time. Stop throwing away diamonds because they haven’t been polished yet.”
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Would you like a breakdown of the **top 10 players sold too early** by Premier League clubs — and what they became after?
