Having joined Chelsea from Bolton in January 2012 for a fee of £7 million, Gary Cahill has become an indispensable factor in the blue team's centre-back position for many years. When John Terry retired after the 2016-2019 season ended, the English player was chosen as the captain of The Blues. However, this past season, under the leadership of coach Sarri, Cahill has been abandoned.
Cahill's contract with Chelsea expired after the 2018-2019 season ended and he also decided to leave to seek a new challenge. This was predicted and recently, The Blues confirmed the parting ways with their captain.
"The end of this season is also the end of Gary Cahill's playing career for Chelsea. The centre-back and captain of the team has recently expired his contract and sent a message to leave last month. When Gary Cahill signed for Chelsea from Bolton seven and a half years ago, few people could have predicted his important role during his time at Stamford Bridge," Chelsea's homepage announced.
During his time at Chelsea, Cahill made 290 appearances and scored 25 goals. With Chelsea, he won 2 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, 1 League Cup, 2 Europa Leagues and especially the Champions League (2011-2012). He is always one of the most beloved players of The Blues fans for his dedicated spirit and strong playing style.
"He's a great player, a great captain and a great man. Cahill will be remembered forever at the club. He came to a big club with big dreams. Many people did not think that Cahill could integrate so quickly and play such an important role. Cahill passed away as a legend. Thank you Gary, wish you all the best," Chelsea sent a final message to Cahill.
Previously, in early May, Cahill confirmed that he would leave Chelsea on a free transfer because he felt uncomfortable not being used by coach Sarri: "In the past 6 seasons, I have been used regularly. Therefore, not being used in this season makes me feel uncomfortable. If you are not used in 2 or 3 matches, perhaps the coach does not need to explain. However, if you leave out a player for 8 or 9 consecutive games, you have to give them a clear reason."
"I was very sad not to compete. I used to have good memories at Chelsea, but now I can't think of anything. Maybe I will erase everything from my head when I leave Chelsea, I only keep the memory of the FA Cup final last season".
Cahill has not yet chosen a new destination, but he has been interested in many clubs in the Premier League, mainly mid-range clubs and rookies. At the age of 33, the experience of the former England midfielder is still very useful for many clubs.
