Chelsea broke the world record for the most money spent in a single window this summer, spending more than £250 million on new players....CONTINUE READING
In the first transfer window under new owner Todd Boehly, the Blues have made a major effort to restructure their defence, with Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso leaving for free.
The attacking line also needed strengthening, as Chelsea were desperate for a goalscorer following Tim Werner’s return to RB Leipzig and the loan transfer of Romelu Lukaku to Inter.
Manager Thomas Tuchel lost his job after a slow start to the season, so FootballTransfers ranks the Chelsea acquisitions that new manager Graham Potter must now make the most of.
Here are our rankings of the new players based on their performances so far:
Youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka (€18m) and Gabriel Slonina (€9m) are not included as they have yet to make their first-team debuts.
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Barcelona (€12 million)
Chelsea brought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back to the Premier League after taking on Barcelona, hoping he would show his best form instead of the problems he caused at Arsenal before he left.
Although the deal was initially acceptable, Tuchel’s dismissal, which lured Aubameyang to Stamford Bridge, has left Chelsea in serious danger of another high-paying flop.
The 33-year-old made two appearances for Chelsea in the Champions League, but failed to score.
4. Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli (€38 million)
Chelsea have long admired Kalidou Koulibaly but were often paid exorbitant sums for the defender, but this summer they finally secured his signature for £34 million.
Koulibaly has had a poor start to his Chelsea career so far, but the Senegalese player should be a capable replacement for Antonio Rudiger at left midfield.
3. Wesley Fofana – Leicester (€80 million)
Wesley Fofana has established himself as one of the best young defenders in Europe during his two seasons at Leicester, where he arrived from Saint-Etienne for £36.5 million.
However, the 21-year-old is a player known for his physicality after a bone fracture that kept him out of action for most of last season.
Chelsea ranked Fofana as one of the most expensive defenders of all time, although the Frenchman has yet to prove his suitability and long-term value for the price, a gamble that has yet to pay off in the 2022-23 season.
2. Marc Cucurella – Brighton (€65m)
Marc Cucurella impressed in his only season at Brighton and has continued his good form in his first spell at Chelsea, showing why teams like Manchester City and Barcelona have shown interest in him.
The fee of £58 million was too high for a player who could compete with Ben Chillwell, another £50 million signing, in 2020, but the Spaniard was a solid addition for the Blues.
1. Raheem Sterling – Manchester City (€56 million)
The acquisition of Raheem Sterling has already paid off for Chelsea, as the England international has scored four goals in eight games in all competitions and tops the Blues’ goal tally.
Sterling was in the final year of his contract with Manchester City, so Chelsea jumped in for £47.5 million (about €1.5 million) and beat a number of teams for his signature; it was a very smart deal.
