Trevoh Chalobah has bemoaned his departure from Chelsea, claiming that he 'wanted to be a legend' at Stamford Bridge. The 27-year-old defender left the Blues to join Como in a deal worth more than £30million during the summer transfer window, bringing an end to his 18-year stay.

football.london understands that Chelsea received an initial £25.7m for Chalobah, plus a possible further £5.1m available in add-ons. As a Cobham graduate, the fee was recorded as 'pure profit' on the books, giving the Blues a significant boost in their efforts to remain compliant with the Premier League's spending rules.

The England international was one of many players to leave the Blues as part of a long-overdue clearout which raised an eye-watering £375m (€447.8m) in revenue. Chalobah still had two years left on his contract with Chelsea, which included a club option to extend to June 2029, but his tenure was brought to a premature end.

During an interview with The Athletic, the Englishman discussed his departure from his boyhood team. When asked whether it was difficult to leave, Chalobah said: "Definitely.

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"The team didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve last season, but I thought I had one of my best seasons, playing the most games and scoring a few goals. I’d been there since I was eight, and I wanted to be a legend there, but sometimes the way we plan things is not how things work out.

"As footballers, you’ve always got to be ready to adapt. You could be here one moment, then the next moment you’re somewhere else. But I just thought that it was the best.

"Chelsea means everything to me. I’m still watching the games, keeping in contact with the players and staff."

When asked whether he felt his long-term future was going to be at Chelsea, Chalobah replied: "Chelsea had just won the Champions League, and I thought it would be difficult. Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger were there. I thought, ‘If I’m meant to play for Chelsea, it will happen’."

Chalobah featured 151 times across all competitions for Chelsea, winning two FIFA Club World Cup titles, the FA Cup, the UEFA Conference League, and the UEFA Super Cup. But, unfortunately for the centre-half, it wasn't meant to be; he didn't achieve 'legend' status.

On how the transfer to Como materialised, Chalobah said: "The manager reached out to me over the summer and explained the project and where he saw me playing. I read about the rise of Como, how exciting the team is.

"He really wanted me and my experience. That felt good, and it was time for a change. As a footballer, it’s good to experience different things, and it was an easy decision to come abroad again. I like Italy as well. I go on holiday there a lot."

He added: "The staff, the players, the fans, the city itself, everything just resonates with me in terms of quality of life, the lifestyle, the food. I’m really into my food. It’s just fresh food. The football is amazing. The manager we have is great."