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The summer of 2012 was one of the most momentous in recent Chelsea history as the club ended the time of the Old Guard with a (first!) Champions League triumph and began a new era with a plethora of exciting and young signings, including Eden Hazard, Oscar, Marko Marin (eyyyyy), César Azpilicueta, and, as the last arrival of that window, Victor Moses. He seemed almost a superfluous signing and very much surplus to requirements, but Chelsea had been pursuing him that whole summer, submitting at least four bids before Wigan Athletic finally agreed a £9m deal.
The start of the 2012-13 was defined by the free-wheeling concept of the MaZaCar (MAta-haZArd-osCAR), but Moses was right there as well, making a (still) career-high 43 appearances and scoring a (still) career-high 10 goals, most of them in the Europa League, as Chelsea won that competition for the first time ever.
Despite that success, Moses would be sent on loan the next season, as José Mourinho took charge again. It wouldn’t be the first time such a drastic shift occurred in Moses’s Chelsea career. But he would stay with the club during both of Antonio Conte’s seasons, converting to a wing-back from a winger and playing a key role in Conte’s Premier League-conquering 3-4-3 setup. The 2018 FA Cup final would turn out to be one of his last few actual appearances in a Chelsea shirt (same as for Conte), as he’d spend the next three years on various loans once again (Fenerbahce, Internazionale, Spartak Moscow).
Earlier today, Moses’s permanent transfer to Spartak was confirmed. He leaves Chelsea after 3 full seasons (128 appearances) and 6 seasons on loan, three trophies, and a heart full of blue blood.
“After 9 fantastic years and 128 games for @chelseafc I have now officially left the club to join @fcsm_official on a permanent transfer.
“I’ve loved every moment playing for Chelsea and leave with memories that I will cherish forever, including winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.
“I’ve always appreciated the love and support shown to me during my time at Stamford Bridge and would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody connected with the club, with a special mention to the incredible Chelsea fans who have always been brilliant with me.
“I would like to wish the club every success in the future. Thank you for everything.I’ll always have blue in my heart ”
-Victor Moses; source: Instagram
Moses’s time at Stamford Bridge certainly had it’s extreme highs and extreme lows, but he was central to many of our greatest successes in the past decade, and for that — and for his celebratory backflips — he will always be remembered.
Good luck at Spartak, Victor! Maybe we’ll see you in the Champions League...