Out of the Blue: 5 outcasts who thrived after leaving Chelsea

Failure to make a mark at Chelsea has been a blessing in disguise for a number of players who've gone on to find success after leaving Stamford Bridge.

For just about every lucrative signing over the past five years, there's almost an equal number of players that were shipped out of town prematurely, only to revive their respective careers elsewhere.

Worse yet, a majority of the most successful outcasts have come back to haunt Chelsea by signing on with the club's biggest Premier League rivals.

Here's a look at five outcasts who've thrived in their post-Chelsea careers:

Ryan Bertrand

It's difficult to imagine that there was a hint of optimism over the possibility of carving out a career at Chelsea near the end of Ryan Bertrand's career.

For all nine years he spent associated with Chelsea, Bertrand was sent out on loan an equal amount of times before Southampton gave him a forever home in 2015.

The 27-year-old has flourished into an integral component to Southampton's defensive scheme, as well as one of England's top full-backs - winning 12 caps with the national team - since the transfer.

Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah barely had any time to prove his worth after signing on with the Blues from Basel in 2014.

The Egyptian international lasted four months before the eventual end to his Chelsea career was signaled with a loan move to Fiorentina. He spent the next season with Roma before Chelsea opted to cash in on the dynamic winger.

After emerging as one of Roma's most reliable players, Salah apparently couldn't resist an opportunity to give the Premier League another shot, as he gets set for a return to the Bridge this upcoming season after completing a €42-million transfer to another one of Chelsea's rivals, Liverpool.

Juan Cuadrado

Similar to Salah, Juan Cuadrado's time in a Chelsea shirt was brief.

The Colombian arrived with big expectations following his £23.3-million move from Fiorentina in 2015 but, in the end, was only afforded 15 matches before Chelsea officials had apparently seen enough.

He was sent back to Italy the following summer to spend the season with Juventus, where his influence and pace up the right flank eventually earned him a permanent move to the Serie A champion.

Cuadrado's transfer was announced just weeks before Juventus' Champions League final encounter with Real Madrid.

Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne's second season away from Chelsea was likely a difficult one for his former employer to digest.

After selling the Belgian midfielder to Wolfsburg just two years after his arrival in southwest London from Genk, De Bruyne solidified himself as one of the world's most promising midfield talents following a breakout campaign that saw him walk away with the Bundesliga Player of the Year award, along with Germany's Footballer of the Year honour during the 2014-15 season.

The £18-million transfer fee Woflsburg paid was quickly viewed as the bargain of the year, as De Bruyne went on to enjoy another successful season in Germany before the Bundesliga side cashed in on its prized possession.

It got worse for the Blues when De Bruyne made his return to England after Manchester City tripled the fee Wolfsburg paid with a successful £55-million bid to bring him to the Etihad, where he continues to thrive and display his elite skill set.

Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea nearly outdid itself a year after the De Bruyne fiasco when the club cut ties with Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku was given a longer leash than his countryman, but struggled to convince management he was worthy of regular first-team opportunities during his three-year spell.

In what was becoming a common trend among Chelsea's outcasts, Lukaku was eventually loaned out of West Bromwich before another temporary season-long spell with Everton.

With the club seemingly unwilling to take notice of his production and evolution into an imposing striker capable of scoring from just about anywhere around the area, Chelsea sold Lukaku after accepting Everton's £28-million offer for the Belgian.

Expect that fee to double if reports of a return to Stamford Bridge come to fruition this summer.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)