They were foolish for selling him, they sold him for just £17M and now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world”- Former Chelsea Boss Mauricio Pochettino says player Premier league club sold for £17M in 2019 is now an absolute world class and has turned into a beast.

They were foolish for selling him, they sold him for just £17M and now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world!” — Pochettino can’t believe what this former Premier League flop has become!
BREAKING NEWS: Mauricio Pochettino has sparked a major debate after making a jaw-dropping statement about a player who was once considered a fringe asset in the Premier League. Sold for a measly £17 million back in 2019, this player has now evolved into a footballing monster, earning global recognition and being widely regarded as one of the very best in the world today.
Speaking in a recent interview, the former Chelsea boss didn’t mince his words:
“They were foolish for selling him,” Pochettino said. “They sold him for just £17M and now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world.”
While Pochettino didn’t name the club outright, fans were quick to connect the dots — and it didn’t take long for one name to dominate social media: Moussa Diaby. The French winger was sold by Paris Saint-Germain to Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 for exactly £17 million. Since then, Diaby has exploded onto the scene, combining blistering pace with elite-level end product and a work rate that most wingers only dream of. He’s become a regular for the French national team and is now starring in the Premier League, after his big-money move to Aston Villa — where he’s terrorized defenses and left full-backs in shambles.
But there’s another name that’s been thrown around — and it’s even more mind-blowing: Serge Gnabry. Once discarded by Arsenal for a similar fee and mocked during a loan spell at West Brom, Gnabry has gone on to win everything at Bayern Munich and is now a Champions League winner and Bundesliga star. Pochettino’s words fit both narratives.
And yet, regardless of which name Pochettino was truly referring to, the message is the same: Premier League clubs have a habit of giving up too soon. These are players who were written off, undervalued, or simply not given enough time. Now? They’re world-beaters.
This comment from Pochettino has re-ignited the debate on poor transfer decisions, and how some English clubs are quick to offload young talent without the patience to see them flourish. Fans are furious. Scouts are embarrassed. And former managers who let these talents go are hiding behind closed doors, wishing they’d seen what the world sees now.
The player Mauricio Pochettino was referring to in his explosive comments is **Moussa Diaby**. In a recent interview, the former Chelsea and PSG manager criticized Paris Saint-Germain for selling Diaby to Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 for just £17 million.
Pochettino said:
> “They were foolish for selling him… now he has become the best player in the world and he’s at the top of the world.”
Since leaving PSG, Diaby has developed into one of Europe’s most electrifying wingers, impressing at Bayer Leverkusen before making a high-profile move to Aston Villa, where he has become a standout performer in the Premier League.
Pochettino’s remarks highlight how PSG let go of a generational talent too soon — a player who now commands global respect and is a key part of the French national team setup. His comments have reignited the debate around short-sighted transfer decisions and the risk of discarding young talent prematurely.