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Under Roman Abramovich's ownership, Chelsea has emerged as one of the biggest clubs in English football. The Russian oligarch overhauled the Blues through increased spending and sensible investments over the years. It has ushered the club into a new era.
Chelsea's most recent incoming transfer activity has seen Romelu Lukaku rejoin his former club for a whopping £97.5 million. It was a record buy for the club. The Blues are one of the smartest operators in the transfer market, but things haven't always gone as planned.
Today, we rank the 5 worst Chelsea signings in Premier League history.
#5 Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato drew comparisons to Brazilian legend Kaka at his peak and was tipped to be the next big thing in Brazilian football.
However, Chelsea decided to acquire the signature of Pato in the twilight of his career, when he was only a shadow of the player he used to be. The Blues snapped up the Brazilian at a time when he found a starting spot in Corinthians hard to come by. Unlike the other players on our list, Chelsea signed Pato on a loan deal, but he failed to make a lasting impact in the brief spell.
The Brazilian enjoyed a good start to his Premier League career, becoming only the sixth Brazilian to score on his PL debut. He converted from the spot against Aston Villa to secure a 4-0 win for Chelsea.
However, Pato would only make one other appearance for Chelsea as he fell down the pecking order behind the likes of Willian, Loic Remy and Bertrand Traore. The current Orlando City striker was sent back to his parent club Corinthians after his disappointing six-month loan spell.
#4 Adrian Mutu
The signing of Adrian Mutu in the summer of 2003 marked the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era.
The Russian oligarch took over the reins at Chelsea in 2003 and spent over £110 million in his first transfer window as the club owner. Mutu was among a quartet of superstars, including Claude Makelele, Hernan Crespo and Damien Duff, brought in to overhaul Claudio Ranieri's squad.
While others went on to establish themselves in English football and help Chelsea win silverware, Mutu fell out with Jose Mourinho just a year after his signing. The former Romanian international was only afforded two matches by Mourinho before being dropped due to fitness issues.
Mutu tested positive for cocaine and was handed a seven-month suspension from football. He would also go on to test positive for appetite suppressant sibutramine in 2010 during his Fiorentina days.
The Romanian was released by Chelsea in October of 2004, and he returned to football in 2005 with Italian side AS Livorno. Mutu has also represented the ISL side, FC Pune City.
#3 Juan Sebastian Veron
Chelsea signing Juan Sebastian Veron was dubbed the next big thing in world football. But he could never fulfill his immense potential.
The Argentine failed to nail down a starting spot in Sir Alex Ferguson's side prior to joining the Blues. It was largely owing to his inadequacy in coping with the physicality of Premier League football. However, Chelsea decided to take a £14 million gamble on Veron, securing his services in the summer of 2003.
Then-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's tactics emphasized a robust and physical presence in the middle of the park to control and dictate play. Veron did not meet any of his requirements and was hindered by several injuries. It became difficult for him to enjoy a consistent run in the starting XI.
The former Argentine international spent most of his four years as a Chelsea player on loan at different clubs. His first loan spell was a two-season-long stint at Inter Milan, followed by a year-long spell at Argentine club Estudiantes.
#2 Andriy Shevchenko
Ukraine's all-time leading goalscorer Andriy Shevchenko was one of the earliest marquee signings in the Roman Abramovich era.
The 2004 Ballon d'Or winner was an Abramovich favorite, and he arrived in London with a burgeoning reputation. The Blues completed the signing of Shevchenko in the summer of 2006 for a £39.49 million fee from AC Milan. The now 45-year old emerged as one of the most lethal forwards in modern football during his seven-year stint at the San Siro.
The Ukrainian legend was directly involved in 220 goals (175 goals, 45 assists) for the Rossoneri in 322 appearances. However, things didn't exactly go to plan as the Ukrainian could never adapt to the demands of Premier League football.
Shevchenko could only find the back of the net a paltry 22 times in 77 appearances for Chelsea before being sent back on loan to AC Milan just two years later. The Ukrainian parted ways permanently with the Blues in 2009 and went on to join his boyhood club Dynamo Kyiv on a free transfer. He hung up his boots just three years later.
#1 Papy Djilobodji
Papy Djilobodji had one of the shortest playing careers for Chelsea in the Premier League era, as he was in action for the Blues for a mere 59-seconds.
After failing to land their initial transfer targets of Raphael Varane and John Stones, Chelsea indulged in a £4million panic buy of Djilobodji. The centre-back completed his move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2015 after spending over five years at Ligue 1 outfit FC Nantes.
Following his arrival in London, then-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admitted that he had never heard of his new centre-back. The Portuguese did not end up becoming a fan of Djilobodji's footballing prowess either. The Senegalese was restricted to the sidelines for the majority of his Chelsea career.
He made his only one appearance for Chelsea in an FA Cup tie against Walsall, where he was not even afforded one full minute on the pitch. Djilobodji was eventually loaned out to Werder Bremen in the 2016 winter transfer window. Later he was permanently shipped to Sunderland for an £8.55 million fee.
