Chelsea’s 10 best transfer signings in the Roman Abramovich era

Chelsea’s golden interval got here quickly after Roman Abramovich’s hundreds of thousands have been pumped into the membership. Coincidence? In fact not. However that doesn’t imply they need to lose credit score for mastering the switch market after they may purchase anybody they needed.

Between 2003 and 2022, the Blues signed some absolute gems. However who have been one of the best arrivals at Stamford Bridge throughout that point? We’ve had a go at doing simply that right here.

Rating components

As a way to rank these gamers in the best order, now we have thought of the next standards:

Switch payment – how a lot they have been purchased for compared to their high quality

Influence – how shortly they have been in a position to change into integral elements of the workforce

Tactical suitability – how they match the workforce’s fashion of play

Reliability – whether or not they have stayed injury-free or been in a position to assist out in several positions

Massive matches – whether or not they carried out when it mattered most, notably in finals

10: John Eyes

Signed from Valencia for £23.5m (2011)

Signed early within the short-lived reign of Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea made a press release by prising Juan Mata from Valencia.

Villas-Boas wasn’t round to witness it from the dugout, however Mata was a key a part of the Chelsea facet that turned European champions below Roberto Di Matteo, offering assists within the FA Cup and Champions League finals of 2012.

He left below one thing of a cloud following Jose Mourinho’s return, made all of the extra baffling having been named the Blues’ Participant of the 12 months simply months earlier than. Mata may simply have had a powerful legacy had he caught round a little bit longer.

9: Gary Cahill

Signed from Bolton for £7m (2012)

Not solely was Gary Cahill a discount, however he performed a key position in one in every of Chelsea’s greatest video games to assist them in direction of European glory.

Alongside David Luiz, the defender helped marshal a defence with out the suspended John Terry to carry agency towards Champions League ultimate favourites Bayern Munich.

That alone can have made his £7m transfer in January 2012 a fairly candy one for all involved, however Cahill additionally went on to kind a stable partnership with Terry on the coronary heart of the Blues defence, additionally sealing two league titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the Europa League throughout that point.

8: Ricardo Carvalho

Signed from Porto for £19.9m (2004)

It’s tough to disregard Ricardo Carvalho’s instantaneous affect at Chelsea, with the Portuguese centre-back arriving in 2004 to assist kind the tightest defence in English soccer historical past.

Whereas not at all purchased on a budget, Jose Mourinho can have recognized precisely what he was getting as he raided former membership Porto upon his appointment at Stamford Bridge, with Carvalho an ideal addition to information Chelsea on the trail to trophies galore.

7: Cesar Azpilicueta

Signed from Marseille for £7m (2012)

Cesar Azpilicueta went from a sturdy backup to Branislav Ivanovic to a reliable captain at Stamford Bridge, with the Spaniard leaving the Blues having lifted 9 trophies for the membership.

A comparatively understated signing (having joined weeks after the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar), Azpilicueta’s affect grew as time handed in west London, along with his skill to play throughout the backline a luxurious for a number of Chelsea bosses throughout his 11 years.

6: Nug Heart

Signed from Leicester for £30m (2016)

It could possibly be argued that Chelsea successfully gained the switch window and the Premier League title following their acquisition of N’Golo Kante from league holders Leicester Metropolis in 2016.

Kante gained the PFA Participant of the 12 months award following a stunning first marketing campaign at Chelsea, the place he steered the Blues to what was a second successive league triumph for himself.

Particularly by as we speak’s requirements, £30m for a participant of Kante’s high quality – he went on to win the World Cup and Champions League – is a deal to be marvelled at.

5: Diego Costa

Signed from Atletico Madrid for £32m (2014)

Whereas Chelsea have been accused of shopping for their solution to success, there have been few instant-impact signings as devastating as Diego Costa upon his arrival at the beginning of Jose Mourinho’s second spell.

20 targets in 26 Premier League video games helped Chelsea to ease to title glory in 2014/15 earlier than repeating the trick two years later with one other 20-goal haul.

It ended somewhat sourly for the Spain worldwide, however his targets and trophies return made his signing an especially clever funding.

4: Ashley Cole

Signed from Arsenal for £5m (2006)

Tapping-up scandal apart, signing a participant of Ashley Cole’s calibre for £5m – even within the mid-2000s – is borderline ridiculous.

Arsenal arguably handed Chelsea one of many bargains of the century with this deal, as not solely have been a direct rival made weaker for little cash, however the makeweight of William Gallas didn’t precisely profit the Gunners in the long term – not that he was Chelsea’s drawback any longer.

Cole continued to win loads of silverware throughout the capital whereas his former employers struggled to compete with out him. All issues thought of, it was a negotiating masterclass from Chelsea.

3: Eden Hazard

Signed from Lille for £32m (2012)

There may be little to say about Eden Hazard that hasn’t already been stated, as he’s undoubtedly one in every of Chelsea’s most interesting gamers of the trendy period.

Signing quickly after their Champions League success in 2012, the Belgian’s £32m price ticket was shortly paid off, with the winger adapting to English soccer and changing into one of many league’s prime stars.

He was arguably the Blues’ finest participant on their solution to the title in 2015, whereas he additionally showcased his urge for food for the massive event, scoring an FA Cup ultimate winner in 2018 and taking part in a starring position within the Europa League ultimate in his final match for the membership a yr later.

2: Didier Drogba

Signed from Marseille for £24m (2004)

Didier Drogba was one in every of Jose Mourinho’s most impressed signings. Chelsea’s skill to change into serial winners may be owed to the Ivorian, who had a knack for turning up in huge finals.

The striker scored at Wembley, the Millennium Stadium, the Allianz Area – you title it. If there was a ultimate, anticipate Drogba to have his say.

Two seasons with a 30-plus objective return mustn’t go unnoticed both, proving he may additionally present all through the season.

Merely put, Drogba was key in the course of the peak of Chelsea’s success below Mourinho.

1: Petr Cech

Signed from Rennes for £7m (2004)

How a lot would one of the best goalkeeper on the earth be value these days? £60m? £80m? £100m? Extra?

£7m is all that introduced Petr Cech over from Rennes in 2004, with the Czech shot-stopper forming a part of arguably essentially the most formidable defence now we have ever seen, as he conceded simply 13 occasions within the Premier League on the best way to Chelsea’s first title for half a century.

Not even a critical head damage may cease Cech’s longevity as among the finest goalkeepers within the sport, and his profitable stint at Chelsea culminated of their 2012 Champions League triumph, throughout which he saved a penalty in extra-time and the shootout.

With Cech’s arrival offering the muse of Chelsea’s glory years below Abramovich’s possession, it’s a no brainer that this ranks as one of many Blues’ prime switch offers in current reminiscence.