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Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders in the transfer market since billionaire owner Roman Abramovich took control of the club in 2003.
Abramovich’s money coupled with his ruthless yet successful approach to hiring and firing managers, has helped put Chelsea on the map as one of the biggest clubs in world football.
The Blues have spent huge sums of money on various players across the globe. Most recently, Chelsea broke their transfer record to bring Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan for £97.5 million. In addition to that, the Blues had also spent close to £200 million last season to strengthen their squad.
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Chelsea's most successful players have arrived at a bargain
While Chelsea continue to spend big in the transfer market, a quick look into their history tells us that the Blues' most successful players have come at a bargain. Most of these players arrived at the club for next to nothing but made a huge impact at Stamford Bridge, proving themselves to be some of the best in their position.
Without further delay, let's take a look at the five greatest bargain signings in the club's history:
#5 Frank Lampard - £11 million
Although £11 million was quite a bit of money back in 2001, Frank Lampard enters this list purely because of the service Chelsea got from the midfielder for that price.
The England international went on to become the club's highest ever goalscorer, with 211 strikes during his 13 years at Stamford Bridge. He scored several crucial goals during his time at the club, including a brace away to Bolton Wanderers in 2005 to seal the Blues' first league title win in 50 years.
Lampard was one of the few who managed to win every possible trophy at the club. He won 11 major titles at Chelsea, which included three Premier Leagues, one Champions League, one Europa League, two League Cups and four FA Cups. He also managed to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 2005 and finished as the runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in the same year.
Lampard's managerial stint at the club didn't turn out to be as successful. However, he will always be loved and adored by the Chelsea fans and rightly so.
#4 Gary Cahill - £7 million
Gary Cahill was deemed to be just a squad player when Chelsea signed him from the troubled Bolton Wanderers in January 2012. However, Cahill turned out to be one of Chelsea's best signings in the last decade and was a crucial player for the Blues in defense.
The Englishman immediately slotted into the center of Chelsea's backline and was pivotal to the team winning their maiden Champions League title just four months after his arrival.
He further went on to win two Premier League titles in 2015 and 2017 and also became Chelsea's captain after John Terry's departure. The 35-year-old's time at the club came to an end in the summer of 2019 after the end of his contract. He now plies his trade with AFC Bournemouth in the Championship.
Cahill has been a vital part of Chelsea's success over the last decade and remains an absolute bargain whichever way you look at it.
#3 Ashley Cole - £5 million + William Gallas
Ashley Cole's transfer to Chelsea was full of controversies, but it eventually ended with him making a switch to west London for £5 million plus William Gallas.
It proved to be an absolute bargain for Chelsea as the former Arsenal man during the peak of his powers after being part of the Gunners' 'Invincibles' squad.
The English international spent eight glorious seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning every major honor possible during his time at the club. The left-back managed to win the Premier League under Ancelotti while he also won the Champions League and Europa League in back-to-back seasons. He also won four FA Cups at Chelsea, adding to his previous three with Arsenal, while also winning the English League Cup with the Blues in 2007.
Cole made 338 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea, registering seven goals and 38 assists during that time. He eventually left the club to join Roma in 2014 before hanging up his boots at Derby County in 2019.
Cole is widely considered to be the best ever Premier League left-back, if not the best of all time.
#2 Michael Ballack - Free
In the summer of 2006, Michael Ballack became a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich and a host of top clubs were behind his signature. It was Chelsea who secured his signing ahead of the likes of Manchester United to make it one of the greatest free transfers of all time.
The German midfielder managed to make 167 appearances for the Blues during his four-year spell at Stamford Bridge, registering 25 goals and 24 assists during that time. He scored some crucial goals for Chelsea, including a match-winning goal against Porto in the Champions League Round of 16.
The former Germany captain left the Blues in 2010 with five major honors to his name, which included three FA Cups, one League Cup and a Premier League title.
Although Ballack was generally behind Frank Lampard in the pecking order, he is fondly remembered by Blues fans for his crucial contributions at the club.
#1 Cesar Azpilicueta - £6.5 million
Nicknamed "Dave" by the Chelsea faithful, Cesar Azpilicueta has become a fan favorite since moving to Stamford Bridge and is now the club's captain. Arriving for just £6.5 million from Marseille in 2012, the Spaniard has perhaps proved to be the biggest bargain in the Premier League's recent history.
Used as a squad player during his first season, the Spaniard became the first choice left-back after the arrival of Jose Mourinho in 2013. Although a right-back, Azpilicueta excelled in that position and played a vital part in Chelsea's 2014-15 league title win.
Antonio Conte's arrival then saw him being used as a right centre-back in a 3-4-3. Azpilicueta excelled in that role as well, helping his side clinch another Premier League title.
Azpilicueta later became club captain at the start of the 2019-20 season and led Chelsea to the Champions League title last term, cementing his status as a true legend of the club.
The 32-year-old is currently seventh on Chelsea's all-time appearance list and is considered one of the Premier League's best ever full-backs.
