Chelsea have seen several generational talents slip underneath their grasp and hearing about their misfortune in that regard isn't for the faint-hearted.
Whether that is letting go of Declan Rice as a 14-year-old or having a 16-year-old Jamal Musiala get snatched from them by Bayern Munich, the Blues have endured their fair share of heartache when it comes to watching some of their academy graduates prosper elsewhere.
Rice and Musiala have since transformed into world-class talents since departing Stamford Bridge, reminding Chelsea what they could have had so to speak, which is something Kylian Mbappe has also done.
The Blues famously rejected the opportunity to sign him as a 13-year-old and now they're looking to reverse that gut-wrenching decision by miraculously signing him in January.
Chelsea transfer news – Kylian Mbappe
According to Gazetta dello Sport – as relayed by French outlet Le 10 Sport – Chelsea and Liverpool are gearing up to offer the French superstar a huge contract offer with his Paris Saint-Germain future up in the air.
Mbappe's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and unless he extends his deal with the Parisiens, foreign clubs will be eligible to begin pre-contract talks with him over a free transfer in the summer from January 1st.
Whilst Real Madrid have been long considered favourites to capture the 24-year-old, Premier League clubs are set to rival the Spanish giants for his signature and offer him close to what he earns at PSG, which is reportedly £1.2m-per-week.
If the Blues were somehow able to land arguably the best player on the planet on a free transfer, he would not only become one of their greatest-ever transfers, but he'd have an opportunity to eclipse the legacy that the sensational Eden Hazard forged at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian – like Mbappe – began his career in Ligue 1 with Lille, but established himself as one of the Premier League's most talented players with 110 goals in 352 appearances for Chelsea, yet the Frenchman would surely blow his impact out of the water, especially in the goal-scoring department.
Kylian Mbappe vs Eden Hazard's goal record
It is difficult to put into words how good Kylian Mbappe is, but considering he's already reached 300 career goals at the age of 24, doing so quicker than the greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, his talents need no introduction.
Kylian Mbappe
24 years, 333 days
Lionel Messi
25 years, 125 days
Neymar
25 years, 238 days
Cristiano Ronaldo
27 years, 89 days
All stats via GiveMeSport
To put the above into perspective, when Ronaldo was Mbappe's age, he had scored 158 career goals. This is a stat that not only proves how the Portuguese superstar got better with age but one that depicts the near-unstoppable scoring talents of the PSG star.
For as long as he continues to outperform some of the greatest footballers to ever live, the plaudits will continue to stream in for the goalscoring machine, who has been lavished by many legends of the sport.
His fellow countryman, Thierry Henry, once said: “What this kid is doing is really out of this world,” while many, including his national team manager, Didier Deschamps, have labelled him as "world-class".
Given the above, it's no surprise that Mbappe, who has plundered an eye-watering 15 goals in 15 appearances for the French giants this term, has also outscored Hazard already, despite being eight years younger.
The Belgian retired this year after scoring 167 goals in 623 career appearances, which is a respectable record for any wide player, however, considering the 74-cap international has nearly doubled that particular tally, there is no doubt he'd instantly transform Chelsea into a title challenger and in turn, smash any record that Hazard set in west London.
Also a player that former PSG boss Pochettino knows well – having scored 67 goals and contributed 34 assists in just 75 games under the Argentine – Mbappe could surely flourish in a Blues jersey in the near future.