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Chelsea were one of the most-active clubs in the recently-concluded winter transfer market. The west London club signed as many as eight players to bolster their squad for the remainder of the season.
Joao Felix (loan), Beniot Bashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Malo Gusto, and Enzo Fernandez all joined the ranks at Stamford Bridge for a combined transfer fee of €329.50 million.
Their biggest acquisition was that of Argentine youngster Fernandez from Benfica for a British record fee of €121 million. The club had been chasing the World Cup winner for the entire month, with a number of initial bids being rejected by the Portuguese club.
However, the Blues eventually agreed to Benfica's valuation of Fernandez and completed the transfer just hours ahead of the deadline on January 31.
Fernandez, who was named the 2022 World Cup's Young Player of the Tournament, joins the list of highly-rated stars who moved to Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day.
In this article, we'll take a look at three deadline day signings by Chelsea in recent years who have lived up to the billing.
3 Chelsea deadline day signings that lived up to expectations
#3 Claude Makelele
Claude Makelele is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, who was renowned for his energy, ball-winning ability as well as his aggressive tackling.
The French international joined the Blues from Real Madrid on deadline day of the 2003 summer transfer window. He went on to redefine the defensive midfield role in England and was a key member of the Chelsea setup that achieved tremendous success in the mid 2000's.
He helped the club win two Premier League titles, two League Cups, and the FA Cup. He was also part of the squad who lost the 2008 UEFA Champions League final on penalties to Manchester United.
Makelele left Chelsea in 2008 on a free transfer to join Paris Saint Germain. He made a total of 217 appearances for the west London club, registering two goals and six assists.
The 49-year-old is currently working as an individual coach and technical mentor with Chelsea's youth sides.
#2 Ashley Cole
Former England international Ashley Cole is another high-profile star who the Blues signed on deadline day. The English left-back joined the London club from rivals Arsenal on deadline day of the 2006 summer transfer window.
Chelsea offered the Gunners £5 million plus French international William Gallas to bring Cole to Stamford Bridge. Prior to joining the Blues, he had won multiple domestic titles at Arsenal (two league titles, three FA Cups, and two League Cup titles).
He was also a member of the 2004 'Invincibles' squad who won the Premier League without losing a single game.
Cole spent eight seasons at Stamford Bridge and added more domestic titles to his cabinet. He won four more FA Cups while at Stamford Bridge and holds the record for most FA Cup wins by a player (seven).
He also won the Premier League, Champions League and the Europa League while at Chelsea. He registered seven goals and provided 37 assissts in 337 games for the Blues.
#1 Mateo Kovacic
Mateo Kovacic was signed by Chelsea on deadline day of the summer transfer window in 2018. The Croatia international initially joined the club on a season-long loan from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Kovacic was an important addition to the Blues' midfield, adding depth and creativity to the team. After impressing in the 2018-19 season, the club made the transfer permanent as the Croatian star penned a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
He has been a key player for the club, helping them win the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. So far, the 28-year-old has made 206 appearances for the West London club, scoring seven goals and providing 14 assists.
