The recent exodus has continued at Chelsea, as they have sold Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles to Fenerbahce.
Meireles (pictured) has signed a four-year contract and will cost the Istanbul club £8m, in a deal that has gone through immediately, as the Turkish transfer window doesn’t close until later in the week.
The 29-year-old has only been in West London for just over a year, after signing for £12m on deadline day last summer from Liverpool.
He started 37 games for the Blues in all competitions last season, netting on six occasions, including a Premier League win over Manchester City and in the home leg of the Champions League quarter-final with Benfica.
Meireles was deemed surplus to requirements by Roberto di Matteo, having only made one brief cameo appearance from the bench against Newcastle this season.
After completing his move to the Turkish giants, he told FB TV in Turkey: “I can’t wait to get started. Fenerbahce is as big a club as Chelsea, Liverpool and Porto.
Embarking a new challenge
“I have friends in Turkey. (Dirk) Kuyt has told me on several occasions that Istanbul is a beautiful city. I’m very excited about the prospect of playing here.”
Along with Kuyt, who he played with during his one season on Merseyside, Meireles joins former Premier League players Joseph Yobo and Miroslav Stoch at the club as they aim to regain the Turkish league title, won last season by Galatasaray.
He will also embark on a Europa League campaign, with Fenerbahce drawn alongside AEL Limassol, Borussia Monchengladbach and Marseille in Group C.
Meireles featured in Chelsea’s FA Cup final victory and reached the semi-finals with Portugal at Euro 2012 but missed the West Londoners epic Champions League final success due to suspension.
He joins Michael Essien as a recent departure from Stamford Bridge, after the Ghanaian completed a deadline day loan move to Real Madrid.
Unsettled Frenchman Florent Malouda is likely to stay until January, despite not being selected in the club’s Champions League squad for the group stages.
By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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