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#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.
