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Chelsea have been known to make pretty expensive signings since Roman Abramovich's takeover in 2003. The Russian's investment helped the Blues break the duopoly of Arsenal and Manchester United and clinch the Premier League title in 2005.
Since then, Chelsea have continued to be one of the biggest spenders in the transfer market, recruiting many big players at the club. Many of these players have played an integral role in helping Chelsea win numerous domestic and continental titles.
Chelsea have had expensive signings before the Abramovich era
The Blues were not the free spenders they are now before Abramovich's takeover. However, the club had made a few expensive signings during the 90s which, helped them push up the Premier League table and also compete in Europe.
Here we take a look at the five most expensive signings Chelsea made before Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003:
(Note: All transfer values are as per Transfermarkt)
#5 Jesper Gronkjaer - £10.67 million
Jesper Gronkjaer is a cult hero among Chelsea's fanbase. The winger scored what is known as a 'billion pound goal' against Liverpool, which secured Champions League football for the cash-strapped club and prompted Roman Abramovich to buy it.
But aside from that goal, the Dane's time at Stamford Bridge wasn't that great. Arriving from Ajax in 2001, a lot was expected from Gronkjaer given that he had starred for the Dutch side.
However, in his 119 games at Chelsea, he managed to score just 11 goals and 14 assists, generally being an inconsistent and frustrating player.
After Abramovich brought in Jose Mourinho as manager, the Portuguese no longer required the services of the player and he was sold to Birmingham for a paltry £3 million.
Nevertheless, the £10 million Chelsea paid Ajax for him was worth it for the Liverpool goal alone.
#4 Boudewijn Zenden - £11.61 million
Another big signing to arrive at Chelsea before the Abramovich era was Boudewijn Zenden, who was signed from Barcelona in 2001. The winger was an integral part of Barcelona's title-winning squad in 1998-99 and hence Chelsea paid a hefty £11 million to snare him away from Camp Nou.
Zenden was signed by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri and the former PSV man played a pivotal role in Chelsea's rise to prominence. He made 59 appearances in two seasons at the club, registering four goals and nine assists.
However, injuries and lack of form meant that Zenden was loaned to Middlesbrough for the 2003-04 season, just before the Abramovich era kicked in.
Zenden departed for Middlesbrough on a permanent transfer in 2004 after the end of his Chelsea contract.
The winger further went on to play for the likes of Liverpool and Marseille, even playing in the 2007 Champions League final for the Reds. The Dutchman retired in 2012 and did return to Chelsea for a short coaching stint as Rafael Benitez's assistant during the manager's interim spell at Stamford Bridge.
#3 Chris Sutton - £13.5 million
One of the big names to arrive at Chelsea before the Abramovich era, Chris Sutton's career never really took off at Stamford Bridge.
Signing from Blackburn Rovers for a then club-record £13.5 million in 1999, Sutton was considered the player that would help the Blues challenge for the Premier League title. The striker scored 50 goals in 131 games for Blackburn and had also won the 1994-95 Premier League title with the club.
However, Sutton managed to score just two goals in 38 appearances across all competitions for the Blues and looked a complete shadow of his former self.
As such, when Celtic came in with a offer of £9 million in the following season, the Blues gladly accepted it and the striker moved to Scotland. He had an impressive spell with the Scottish club, scoring 63 goals in 130 games, winning four Scottish Championships, three Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup.
Sutton returned to England playing for the likes of Birmingham City and Aston Villa before hanging up his boots in 2007. He now works as a pundit and commentator for BBC Sports.
#2 Frank Lampard - £14.4 million
Arguably Chelsea's greatest ever signing, Frank Lampard, has won everything there is to win at Stamford Bridge and is a club legend.
Although he was a key part of Roman Abramovich's era at Chelsea, Frank Lampard arrived at the club before the Russian's takeover. The midfielder was signed from West Ham for £14.4 million in 2001, a pretty expensive transfer considering the club's finances at the time.
Having been backed by Harry Redknapp, who said Lampard "will go right to the very top" in a famous interview, the midfielder has proved that statement right during his time at the Blues.
He's the club's record goalscorer, despite being a midfielder with 211 goals and is fourth on the all-time list of appearances for the Blues with 648. The midfielder is third on the all-time list for Premier League appearances with 609. He is fifth for all-time goals in the league with 177 and fourth for assists with 102.
He has won 13 pieces of silverware for the Blues, including three Premier League titles, one Champions League and one Europa League. He also finished as the runner-up for the 2005 Ballon d'Or while winning the FWA Footballer of the Year award during the same year.
Lampard did return to manage his beloved club, although his managerial stint wasn't quite as successful.
Nevertheless, Lampard is a Chelsea legend and considering he was signed for just £14.4 million, the deal was an absolute steal.
#1 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - £20.25 million
And finally, the most expensive signing before the Abramovich era was none other than Dutch international striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The forward moved to Stamford Bridge in 2000 from Atletico Madrid for a fee of approximately £20 million.
Hasselbaink already had the experience of playing in the Premier League, having spent two seasons with Leeds United during which he won his first Premier League Golden Boot.
At Chelsea, Hasselbaink was a prolific goalscorer, especially during his first two seasons at the club. He made 177 appearances in all competitions for the Blues and registered 87 goals and 25 assists during that time. He even managed to win his second golden boot after scoring 23 goals in his first season for the Blues.
Hasslebaink departed from Chelsea in 2004, and went on to play for Middlesbrough, Charlton and Cardiff before retiring in 2008. He is currently the manager of Burton Albion in League 1.
