Forgotten Chelsea star becomes club's longest-serving player

 Wales international Ethan Ampadu is Chelsea's longest-serving player following his return from multiple loan spells away from Stamford Bridge after Baba Rahman's sale

After four successive seasons on loan spells away from the club, Ethan Ampadu has become Chelsea’s longest-serving player following the exit of Baba Rahman.

Rahman drew the curtains on an eight-year career at Stamford Bridge with a permanent switch to Greek side PAOK. The Ghanaian international had made just 23 appearances for the club – all of which came in his debut season, with him not donning the Blues shirt since the 2015/16 campaign.

The left-back cost in the region of £14 million when signed from German club Augsburg but had a nomadic career since, spending three seasons on loan in Germany with Schalke before stints at Reims, Mallorca and PAOK – before spending two seasons at Reading in the Championship.

Rahman’s career was disrupted by three major new injuries which required multiple operations, with him telling the Evening Standard last year of the “angels” in Chelsea’s medical staff who helped take care of him. “We wish Baba well as he begins the next chapter of his career,” read a Chelsea statement this summer after his exit was confirmed.

His title of Chelsea’s longest-serving player – often held over the years by players who have been forgotten at Stamford Bridge due to multiple loan spells away from the club’s bloated first-team squad – has now been passed on to Wales international Ampadu.

Now aged 22, Ampadu is – for the meantime – back at the club following a loan spell at Spezia, whom he failed to help keep in Serie A. That follows the versatile defender’s stints at RB Leipzig, Sheffield United and Venezia.

Once regarded as one of Chelsea’s brightest youth prospects, he joined the club from Exeter City – for whom he debuted aged 15 and made 13 appearances – in 2017 and would play 12 times for the Blues across two seasons under Antonio Conte and then Maurizio Sarri.

The gutting of Chelsea’s squad this summer includes the exit of Cesar Azpiliceuta, meaning that the longest-serving continuous player at the club – without any loan spells away – is goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined from Athletic Club Bilbao in the summer of 2018.

The longest serving outfield players after that are wing duo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic, who are both tipped to join the summer exodus from the Blues. Reece James, who first played for Chelsea in the 2019-20 campaign, follows that list.