Ray Wilkins has suggested Tiemoue Bakayoko’s performances for Chelsea this season have proved the club were wrong to sell Nathaniel Chalobah.
The summer signing from Monaco has failed to impress for the Blues and was having a terrible game before being sent off during the first half of their 4-1 defeat at Watford.
Former Chelsea man Wilkins believes it further undermined the decision to let England Under-21 international Chalobah leave Stamford Bridge.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Wilkins said: “Chalobah went to Watford for £6m. They bought Bakayoko for £40m. Both are the same age. Where is the £34m differential between those two players? I just don’t see it.
“You’ve got an English boy who’s growing up playing over a hundred games for England, through the ranks, and we let him go to Watford for £6m.
“He loves Chelsea, he’s a Chelsea boy, and I just can’t see for the like of me why we do this.”
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, who was unable to establish himself at Chelsea, has been outstanding since returning to the Premier League with Liverpool.
Salah started just six league games for the Blues but has scored 28 goals for Liverpool since being signed last summer.
Wilkins said: “They (Chelsea) never played him. I’ve been saying for a long time, if you don’t play these young men you never see what they’re going to do.
“Chelsea didn’t play him. He came on and did bit-parts, went off to Roma and was a revelation and has come back to Liverpool and been absolutely magnificent.”