5 big-money signings that failed at Chelsea 

Chelsea got it wrong on these transfers
Chelsea got it wrong on these transfers

Ad

#3 Fernando Torres

The striker couldn't step up to the plate at Stamford Bridge
The striker couldn't step up to the plate at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea made Fernando Torres the most expensive signing in their history when they paid Liverpool €58 million to secure the signature of the striker. Torres was at the peak of his career when the deal happened, making it difficult to understand why he flopped at Stamford Bridge.

Ad

Although the Spaniard had a few good moments in the Blues' shirt, his overall level of performance was very poor and he appeared to have completely lost his goalscoring instincts.

Ad

At the end of the 2013-2014 campaign, in which he bagged just five goals and 28 Premier League appearances, Chelsea decided to get rid of the Spaniard. Torres was eventually sent on loan to AC Milan. The Italian giants decided to sign him on a permanent deal afterwards but Torres never returned to top form until he retired in 2019.


#2 Kepa Arrizabalaga

€80 million not spent well
€80 million not spent well

Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived as the most expensive goalkeeper in history, as Chelsea paid a whopping €80 million to sign him from Athletic Bilbao in 2018. However, Kepa's time at Stamford Bridge has proven to be disastrous so far.

Ad

The goalkeeper made it to the headlines for the wrong reasons when he refused to be substituted during the 2018 Carabao Cup final and consequently cost the Blues the trophy. He was relegated to the bench by then manager Maurizio Sarri as a penalty for his misconduct. That was the turning point of a career that held a lot of promise.

The penalty lasted just a few weeks but Kepa is yet to regain his spot in the starting line-up, even up until today. He currently serves as a backup to Chelsea's recent signing Edouard Mendy. On the bright side, the young keeper's heroics in Chelsea's UEFA Super Cup win over Villareal could yet result in a change in fortunes.

Ad

#1 Alvaro Morata

One of the biggest flops in Chelsea's history
One of the biggest flops in Chelsea's history

Chelsea's initial attempt to sign Romelu Lukaku failed in 2017 so they decided to sign Alvaro Morata instead. They paid Real Madrid €66 million to let go of the striker. As expected of every big-money transfer, all eyes were on the Spaniard to justify his price at Stamford Bridge.

Ad
Ad

Morata got off to a promising start in the Premier League where he bagged eight goals and four assists in his first 11 games. However, things soon turned sour after that. The striker's career went on a downslide, notably in his second year during which he failed to keep his place in the starting lineup and was used sparringly.

The Spaniard was later offloaded after bagging 24 goals for the Blues across two seasons. He joined Atletico Madrid on loan ahead of the 2018-2019 campaign and the Spanish giants eventually decided to sign him permanently at the end of the term for €35 million.

Quick Links

Edited by Parimal
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications