Danny Drinkwater has confirmed his departure from Chelsea, describing his transfer to the Blues as a 'business move gone wrong'.
Drinkwater joined Chelsea in 2017 for a hefty £35m but would go on to make just 23 appearances for the club, before loan spells with Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa and, most recently, Reading in the Championship.
He also spent the first half of the 2020/21 season playing for Chelsea's Under-23s as he was not handed a squad number for the first team.
With his five-year contract now up, Drinkwater took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Blues.
"My time at Chelsea has come to an end," he confirmed. "Actually feels really strange writing this.
"Me, the club and fans are hugely disappointed with the outcome, there is no doubt about that. Injuries, how I have been treated, mistakes I have made, issues off the pitch, lack of game time...the list of excuses could be endless but I would not and cannot change what's happened.
"I'm going to look at positives over the past five years, I have played with great players, coached by awesome managers, working with some brilliant staff, met some fantastic people, lived in some beautiful places, travelled the world and won some more silverware.
"Football's a fantastic sport but this for both parties was a business move gone wrong, it's as black and white as that.
"To the Chelsea fans, I apologise for how this has turned out. I would have loved for you to see me at my best in that shirt doing what I love. All the best x."
Drinkwater was an integral part of the Reading setup this season. Lining up alongside fellow Blues loanee Baba Rahman, the 32-year-old made 33 appearances in the Championship, chipping in with one goal and one assist as the Royals narrowly avoided relegation.
Source : 90min