Every transfer window, the focus on the amount of money spent is always under a microscope when it comes to Chelsea. Ever since Roman Abramovich took over in June 2003, the club transfer fee has been broken five times in Roman’s 12 years (Damien Duff – £17m in July 2003; Didier Drogba – £24m in July 2004; Michael Essien – £24.4m in August 2005; Andriy Shevchenko – £30.8m in May 2006; and Fernando Torres – £50m in January 2011).
I’ve compiled the most expensive all-time Chelsea FC team. I decided to use a 4-3-3 formation, and will break it down position-by-position.
Goalkeeper: Asmir Begovic – £8m from Stoke City in 2015
That’s right: Asmir Begovic is the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of Chelsea Football Club. The 28-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovinia international has been with Pompey for five years, where he went on loan at numerous clubs including Bournemouth, Yeovil Town and Ipswich Town. He managed to make a name for himself at Stoke and made over 150 appearances – recording 50 clean sheets, and even scored this goal in 2013 against Southampton.
Right back: Paulo Ferreira – £13.2m from Porto in 2004
Ferreira signed with Chelsea before the 2004-05 Premier League season, re-uniting with former manager Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese was originally a right midfielder until meeting Mourinho, who converted him to a fullback during his time with Porto. Ferreira was in the first team for much of his first two seasons at Chelsea, before losing his spot in favor of Khalid Boulahrouz and Gerami during the 2006-07 campaign. Battling through injuries, Ferreira made over 200 appearances with the Blues, and Mourinho described the Portuguese as “a player who will never be man of the match but will always score 7/10 for his individual display.”
Centre back: David Luiz – £21.3m from Benfica in 2011
Sideshow Bob was a bag of mixed opinions during his tenure at Chelsea, where he amassed over 100 appearances over two and a half seasons. The Brazilian box-to-box defender was known for his whacky hair and his love for the game and religion. Given his work rate, he was given time as a defensive midfielder near the end of his time with the Blues – a position he was very familiar with from his time at Benfica. Luiz made one of Chelsea’s four penalties on that night in Munich, and will always be remembered for his incident before that night with Chelsea’s head physiotherapist, Jason Palmer. With John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic both suspended, Roberto Di Matteo needed Luiz to pass Palmer’s fitness test in order to play alongside Gary Cahill.
“ ‘You know how I worked hard in my life to be here? You know when I left my family I was 14-years-old? You know tomorrow there are 200 million Brazilians in the world and just one can be on the pitch? You know what it is for my life to be here? Then it’s not for you to say something, to say I cannot play tomorrow. I will do the test but even if I fail you go to [the then manager Roberto] Di Matteo and say to him that I play tomorrow.’
“He said ‘no’. I said: ‘You go there and you say to him, if not, I kill you. And tomorrow we will be champions of Europe, no problem. Trust me.’ ”
The geezer was sold to PSG just over a year ago for £50m – a record fee for a defender.
Centre back: Ricardo Carvalho – £19.8m from Porto in 2004
Coming off a performance considered arguably the best by any centre back at Euro 2004, Mourinho reunited with his player from Porto and fellow Portuguese.
He was extremely successful in his Chelsea career, partnering up with John Terry to win back-to-back Premier League titles in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns – though his 2005-06 season got off to a bumpy start. Carvalho was dropped in the first game of the season, and described Mourinho’s decision as “incomprehensible,” to which Mourinho responded “Carvalho seems to have problems understanding things, maybe he should have an IQ test.” Mourinho and Carvalho worked out their differences, and Carvalho was a regular in the starting 11 from September on.
Carvalho went on to play nearly 200 games with the Blues, winning three Premier League titles (2004-05, 2005-06 and 2009-10), three FA Cups (2006-07, 2008-09 and 2009-10), two League Cups (2004-05 and 2006-07) and two FA Community Shields (2005 and 2009).
Left back: Filipe Luis – £15.8 from Atletico Madrid in 2014
Luis is a bit of an unwritten chapter with his Chelsea career. Azpilicueta has proven to be the perfect compliment to Hazard, and forced Luis to spend much of his time on the bench.
Luis made just 24 starts in all competitions in his first season with the Blues, with 13 of those coming in Premier League fixtures.
Will the 2015-16 season be a different story (assuming Luis stays at Chelsea)?
Central midfield: Michael Essien – £24.4m from Lyon in 2005
The box-to-box midfielder was once considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. His signing broke Chelsea’s transfer fee record of £24m previously set by Didier Drogba.
The Ghanaian went on to make over 250 appearances for Chelsea, winning the FA Cup four times (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2011-12), two Premier League titles (2005-06 and 2009-10) and the League Cup (2006-07), FA Community Shield (2009), Champions League (2011-12) and Chelsea Player of the Year (2007) once.
Central midfield: Oscar – £25m from Internacional in 2012
Oscar has been a pretty polarising player throughout his Chelsea career in the sense that fans either love him or hate him. Oscar gets a lot of blame for not showing up in big games, hence Mourinho’s tendency to remove him from the starting lineup during those games. This season, Oscar was a man on a mission – out to prove that he is a Mourinho player, and I think Jose found the perfect trio in midfield when he bought Cesc Fàbregas to play with Oscar and Nemanja Matic.
Through three seasons with the Blues, the Brazilian has made over 150 appearances. He has Premier League and Capital One Cup medals to his name from the 2014-15 season, as well as one from winning the Europa League in 2012-13.
He has won Chelsea Goal of the Year awards in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Central midfield: Cesc Fàbregas – £30m from Barcelona in 2014
The price Mourinho paid for the Spaniard would be a crime had it happened on the streets. Fàbregas’ £30m price tag was well worth it in his first season alone where he saw 45 appearances, bagging 21 assists and five goals in all competitions.
He was the pivot man between Matic and Oscar this season, while seeing a few matches in a more advanced role as the attacking midfielder. Cesc’s deep-lying, playmaking role was seen as his most successful spot in the lineup, allowing him to grab some nice assists.
Cesc’s Chelsea chapter remains mostly unwritten, but what a memorable first season it was.
Right wing: Willian – £32m from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013
Before his move to Stamford Bridge, Willian had become familiar with Chelsea and its fans when he scored both goals in Shakhtar Donetsk’s 3-2 loss to Chelsea in the group stage of the 2012-13 Champions League. Willian has been a regular in the Chelsea starting 11, making 91 appearances in all competitions during his two seasons with the Blues. Defined as a ‘Mourinho player’ with his work rate, he does not give as much offensively in terms of goals, but he is a perfect compliment to Branislav Ivanovic in the current squad.
He made a few appearances at centre attacking midfielder last season, and may push Oscar this season for the starting role.
Left wing: Eden Hazard – £32m from Lille in 2012
Hazard has elevated his play in each season with Chelsea. The Belgian wasn’t relied on as much last season, and he still went on to win Chelsea Player of the Year. He is now in talks as one of the best five footballers in the world.
The man has done nearly everything there is to do at the club level. His value has doubled, maybe even tripled, since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. His relationship with Mourinho has massively helped transform his play. Their father-son-like relationship has seen Hazard become a guy that Mourinho can rely on to play a full 90 game-in, game-out. Mourinho questioned his defensive abilities, and Hazard proved him wrong. Hazard, like Willian, has proven that he is a ‘Mourinho player’.
Striker: Fernando Torres – £50m from Liverpool in 2011
Torres has been one of the most controversial signings in club history. Torres joined the club in the January 2011 transfer window, and didn’t score his first goal in blue until 23 April against West Ham.
He joined with massive expectations, and perhaps that’s what led to his steep downfall. He lacked consistency, and aside from being a minutes-eater, he was far from being worth the price tag.
Admittedly, I was one of the bigger Torres supporters throughout his Chelsea career, and will always be thankful for this.
Total cost: £271.5m
How do you think this team stacks up against the current Chelsea team (though six of the 11 are in the current squad) of Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas, Oscar; Willian, Hazard and Costa?
