After a dismal season from Chelsea last time out, it was no real surprise to hear Reece James claim players didn't to be at the club following a campaign that saw four managers, a glut of goals conceded and a squad failing to sparkle.
Chelsea finished 12th in the English top-flight standings, crashed out of the Champions League in a torturous defeat to Real Madrid and finished the season outside the European places.
A mass exodus of stars has followed as newly-appointed boss Mauricio Pochettino looks to right the wrongs of last season and re-establish the club's elite status with co-owner Todd Boehly currently sanctioning 13 departures in a bid to balance FFP regulations and fund new arrivals.
James was largely unable to help his club's cause last season after being plagued by injury but evidently witnessed dressing room unrest that made it hard for his team-mates to find form.
His admission there were players that 'didn't want to be at the club' is a strong revelation, but perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise given there were international stars being left out the team.
When player clashes with club there is usually an unceremonious exit that quickly follows, a situation that appears to be coming more often given Saudi Arabia's offers of outrageous riches.
But amidst a season of poor form, manager turnover, and the arrival of new stars, those who are committed are often weeded out from the players angling for an exit to greener pastures.
Kai Havertz was the first to race through the Stamford Bridge exit door as rivals Arsenal snapped up the midfielder in a £60m deal that shocked supporters of both teams.
The German playmaker was hailed as Chelsea's talismanic playmaker for the future when he joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £80m three years ago under the guise of a reputation as one of Europe's brightest prospects.
His goal secured the Champions League title for Chelsea that season, but that was as good as it would get with the relationship eventually souring, kick-started by the departure of Thomas Tuchel.
Under the now-Bayern Munich boss, Havertz was an emerging leader in midfield, pressing, creating, and adding the dynamism he had been brought in for.
When Graham Potter took the reigns he was forced to be the club's makeshift striker and looked uncomfortable being tasked with such a job despite scoring seven Premier League goals.
In January he issued a call for 'togetherness' following defeat to Fulham, but by the end of the season was stating that 'everything had gone wrong' at Chelsea. Famous last words before his departure was confirmed.
Another figure James could be eluding too with his comments is Mason Mount. Chelsea's starboy turned villain after he rocked up in the north-west to sign off on a £60m transfer to Manchester United.
Mount was the essence of Chelsea's academy production line. Raised in blue and progressing through the youth ranks with an undeterred determination to make it as a first-team star.
He achieved that aim and blossomed during Frank Lampard's first managerial stint at the club with Chelsea supporters hailing the midfielder as a future captain given his grounding at Stamford Bridge and love for the Blues.
However, the honeymoon period was over when new owners led by American Todd Boehly arrived and a lengthy contract stand-off between the two parties ensued.
Mount had been set to sign a new long-term deal under previous owner Roman Abramovich before new terms were offered to him that the Englishman wasn't keen on.
Chelsea's offer of £170k-per-week was rejected by the 24-year-old and as the season dragged on it was evident that a summer exit was the only realistic outcome.
Mount didn't criticise his boyhood team in public, but a combination of falling down the pecking order and injuries showed that there was a clear breakdown in the relationship and calling Old Trafford his 'home' after becoming Erik ten Hag's latest arrival angered Chelsea supporters.
There would be more midfield misery followed as Mateo Kovacic cut and run with the offer of joining Treble-winning Manchester City to good to turn down.
Unlike Mount, the Croatian was a stalwart figure in Chelsea's disastrous end of season run-in and featured in every match during a four-game losing streak in April.
Gaining regular minutes in Pep Guardiola's star-studded line-up will be a difficult task, but with four Champions League titles and a midfield vacancy opened up by Ilkay Gundogan's departure, there is potential to cement a starting role.
Kovacic's efforts in a dire situation further endeared him to the club's fanbase and his decision to move to the Premier League champions is easy to understand.
A trio of Chelsea players N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly soon carved a way away from Chelsea's troubles as Saudi Arabia's riches tempted them to the Middle East.
Kante joined Al-Ittihad, Mendy was lured to Al-Ahli and Koulibaly joined Al-Hilal after a solitary disastrous season in England.
Champions League winning goalkeeper Mendy was unhappy with how he was being treated at Chelsea, first refusing to acknowledge the club's new owners following their takeover and then rejecting a new six-year contract after apparently feeling it was a 'disrespectful' offer.
The deal was hastily withdrawn, Mendy was dropped in favour of Kepa Arrizabalaga and his time at Chelsea was over with the shot-stopper feeling unloved after his previous trophy-winning heroics.
Koulibaly's situation was similarly straightforward and his exit after just one year at the club was another example of Chelsea making a mess of their transfer strategy.
The centre-back signed a four-year deal after his £34m transfer was agreed with Napoli, but Tuchel's sacking appeared to unhinge his career in London.
When Koulibaly played, Chelsea would usually lose, he managed 23 Premier League appearances last season, winning just eight matches, losing 10, and drawing five.
He drifted off into the background during Chelsea's final few games as he nursed a hamstring injury and was on the bench for end of season clashes with Manchester United and Newcastle.
Koulibaly quickly aimed a dig at Chelsea after arriving in Saudi Arabia and explained: 'I prefer a place where I am wanted and at the centre of the project and can be an example for young players.'
One of the few exceptions from James' damning statement is possibly N'Golo Kante.
It's hard to think of the French World Cup winner upsetting the dressing room given his nice-guy reputation harnessed throughout his time in England.
He cryptically slammed reports that he was unhappy at the Blues when his departure was confirmed, insisting in a farewell message that he was the victim of 'rumours and lies'.