Chelsea thought they had the ‘next Ashley Cole” but Jose sold him for £1.5m

Although Enzo Maresca appears to be building a promising squad at Chelsea which could see them challenge for trophies this season, how much would he love to call on several Stamford Bridge icons from years gone by.

José Mourinho’s squad from 2004-2007 is arguably one of the finest in the club’s history, featuring the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole to name just a few.

Two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup were won during those three fantastic years. Yes, future teams have claimed the Champions League and countless other silverware, but it was Mourinho’s first team which proved to be the catalyst for future success.

Being able to call on players such as Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho, Maresca is forming a solid English contingent to have at his disposal.

In terms of attacking talent, the Italian has enough players to fill three teams. Defensively, however, there could be some improvements, especially considering the Blues have conceded 15 goals in all competitions this term.

Imagine if Maresca had someone of Cole’s ability at left-back for the Stamford Bridge side? As the former English defender was certainly one of the finest players in the club’s recent history.

Ashley Cole’s Chelsea statistics

The defender began to make waves with Arsenal around the turn of the century. Under Arsène Wenger, Cole made his senior debut during the 1999/00 season in the League Cup before establishing himself as a first-team star the following campaign.

Cole helped the Gunners win the Premier League in 2003/04, with the club going unbeaten in the process. In the summer of 2006, however, Chelsea were beginning to show interest, and it was clear the Englishman wanted to move.

After 228 appearances for the North London side, Cole joined the Blues for £5m with William Gallas going the other way, not a bad deal.

Over the next eight seasons, Cole would win the Champions League, another Premier League title and a host of FA Cups during his time at Stamford Bridge. More than that, however, was that the defender firmly established himself as one of the best left-backs in the world due to his performances.

Known for his ability to bomb down the left flank with ease, Cole was an attacker’s dream, registering 37 assists during his time at the club. Overall, he made 337 appearances for Chelsea before leaving ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, but it was clear that the Blues managed to have the best years of Cole’s career.

Over the years, many youngsters were hailed as the ‘next Ashley Cole’, yet none of them ever proved they had what it took to succeed the defender.

One of those talents is currently a free agent, having never made the grade at Chelsea, despite spending seven years at the club, making only eight first-team appearances in that time.

Chelsea’s next Ashley Cole

The Dutchman played twice for the Blues during the 2009/10 campaign under Carlo Ancelotti, before featuring another six times the following season, with the Italian manager giving the youngster some experience.

Before that, he spent time on loan with both Newcastle United and Coventry City, playing seven and 20 games respectively for the Championship sides.

He was hailed by Clinton Morrison during his time with the Sky Blues, who said that he could be “the next Ashley Cole” after he shone during a performance against Ipswich Town in 2009.

This should have been a confidence booster, but aside from those appearances under Ancelotti, Van Aanholt never played another first team game for the Blues again, spending time out on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem.

Two and a half seasons back in his homeland saw the left-back make nearly 100 appearances, and it was clear he needed steady football to fulfil his potential.

Sunderland swooped in the summer of 2014, finally luring Van Aanholt away from Chelsea on a permanent deal for a fee of just £1.5m.

What Patrick Van Aanholt is doing now

Three seasons at Sunderland saw the former Chelsea starlet finally make some progress, missing just 32 Premier League matches across his three-year spell in the north-east.

While not exactly reaching the heights of Cole, Van Aanholt’s career did begin to blossom. First, he made the move to Crystal Palace, spending a total of four and a half seasons back in London for the Eagles, before making the move to Galatasaray in 2021.

Last term, he made 24 appearances for PSV Eindhoven as they claimed the Eredivisie title, yet he currently finds himself without a club three months into the new season having been released from his contract at the Dutch side.

Aged 34, the left-back is entering his final few years as a professional player and his next move might just be his last.

Once touted as the next Cole, it didn’t quite work out for the player at Chelsea, failing to live up to this earlier potential which had been placed on him by fellow players and supporters.

It is a testament to his character that Van Aanholt still made a solid career for himself, featuring over 200 times in the Premier League along with playing 19 times for the Netherlands at senior level, making the squad for Euro 2020.

In the current team, Levi Colwill appears to be the defender with the highest potential, especially with his current performances despite only joining in the summer.

There will never be another Ashley Cole, as the former England international was a generational talent.