Here are 10 players that arrived at Stamford Bridge full of hope and promise but left with their tails between their legs. Jose Mourinho look away!
Asier del Horno
The Spanish full-back was solid at Athletic Bilbao for several years and subsequently snapped up for £8 million in the summer of 2005. But it turned out he wasn’t very good and often looked out of his depth in England’s top tier. A year later he was shipped off to Valencia for half the price with a Premier League winners’ medal in his pocket.
His finest moment in a Chelsea shirt? This piece of filth mongering against Lionel Messi. Diego Costa would be proud.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
The midfielder was absolutely flying at Manchester City (before they were good) in 2005 and couldn’t resist a move down South. He signed for £21 million and big things were expected. Remember those days? When a player moving for that sort of money made our eyelids bat?
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. He only showed glimpses of form and then became rather too accustomed with the Stamford Bridge bench. His career has tailed off completely, even after he cut his losses and returned to City. He’s now at QPR – that tells you everything.
Still whacked in a few goodens in his time though.
Scott Parker
Scotty P, the mercenary of London. Charlton Athletic, West Ham, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur. He’s been all over the capital, but his time at Chelsea once threatened to define his entire career.
Foolishly, he thought he could force his way into the team in 2004, but he was little more than a fringe player and was clearly undervalued for his water-carrying ability.
Ironically, and rather damning of our pool of international players, it was decided that his old school methods were exactly what we needed in the England squad, eight years after he signed for Chelsea. We are a fickle bunch.
Meanwhile, I think Parker might have had a slight problem with Joe Cole during their time with the Blues…
Steve Sidwell
The ginger nut just couldn’t crack the first team and went down the exact route that Parker did. Signed from Reading on a free transfer Sidwell had become a key member of the Royals’ midfield during their debut season in the top flight and jumped ship, probably for buried treasure considering the wages he picked up at Chelsea.
Once a big fish in a small pond he soon became a minnow and made just seven Premier League starts. He still got the number nine though, which is something. Well, sort of.
Marko Marin
Oh, hello Andre Schurrle - is that deja vu I’m feeling? Ouch.
Back to Marin. The German signed from Werder Bremen in 2012 for £7 million and soon made absolutely no impact in his new surroundings. Literally nothing. Nada, not a jot. Chelsea didn’t even need him.
The midfielder has now fallen into the perennial loan trap, but at least he’s been jet-setting around Europe and Chelsea have been picking up the tab. Sevilla, Fiorentina, Anderlecht – not too shabby.
Expect him to sit out his contract and move on, plenty richer but the personification of what might have been. Don’t feel too sorry for him though, he had a nasty challenge in him.
Andriy Shevchenko
The Ukrainian was one of Europe’s most prolific front men. He was adored at the San Siro. He was Abramovich’s personal chum. What could go wrong? Ah, well, everything.
£30 million. For a 29-year-old. A bit risky, to say the least. Ah well, that was pocket change to the billionaire and he, like the rest of us, watched it go up in smoke.
It couldn’t get much worse than this, could it?
Fernando Torres
Oh yes, it could! Step forward Fernando Torres. Liverpool’s lethal forward signed on the dotted line for a then British record transfer fee of £50 million. Wowzers.
He was tipped to be the final piece in the Blues. Instead, he became the flop to rule them all. He capitulated completely and became little more than a running joke. He (finally) ended his nightmare spell permanently in January with his trophy cabinet well stocked but his reputation almost irreparable.
Can he get back to his best at Atletico Madrid? He’s back where he’s loved, he’s started scoring agai….No. No he can’t. He might get better. But his best? Come on. No chance.
Gael Kakuta
The Frenchman’s arrival from Lens resulted in a transfer ban (later suspended) after Chelsea were found guilty of wrongdoing in regards to the youngster’s contract.
Don’t you worry, he’s supposed to be really good, he’ll be worth all the trouble they said. Oh, really?
He’s currently on loan with Rayo Vallecano “learning his trade”. (His sixth spell away from the club – boy he must be good).
He is expected to be in the first team next season. Sorry, that was a massive lie. He’s rubbish. He’s never going to make the grade at Chelsea.
Adrian Mutu
The Romanian is, and I don’t use this term lightly, or often, but here it goes: an absolute wasteman. Nope, I’m not sorry. He is.
Here’s a lesson for you all you budding footballers out there, don’t take drugs. It ruins your career.
Yuri Zhirkov
No-one even knew who the full-back was until Russia decided to play rather well during Euro 2008. Hardly anyone can remember who he is now.
Chelsea, not being ones to miss out on a bargain, signed him for a mere £18 million. (Mere?) What an awful buy he turned out to be. He had a wand of a left foot though, but not much else going for him.
Ironically, he saved his best for a game in Russia. Well, you’ve got to impress the Motherland.
Honorable mentions - Mateja Kezman, Veron, Jarosik, Ben Haim, Jarosik
Is there anyone else you would add to Chelsea flops?
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