Ranking the top 5 players Chelsea re-signed

Chelsea have no issues with spending money on a player as long as they know what he is bringing to the table. On most occasions, the club's end goal for the is always to lift a trophy at the end of the season and nothing else.

The Champions of Europe have sold several top talents only to realize that they made a big mistake. Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah come to mind straight away, but Chelsea have rectified their mistakes on a few occasions by bringing the player back.

On that note, here's a look at the

Top 5 footballers who were re-signed by Chelsea

#5 Graeme Le Saux

Graeme Le Saux was the first Chelsea academy product to be re-signed by the club in recent history. The left-winger, who later on went on to become a left-back, left Stamford Bridge due to issues with the manager.

Chelsea played Ian Porterfield regularly and Graeme Le Saux kept getting subbed off during matches. The Englishman was not happy with the treatment and showed his anger during a match against Southampton by throwing his shirt to the ground and storming past the manager in anger.

Graeme Le Saux's behavior did not go down well and he was sold to Blackburn for £700,000 in 1993. The left-back did well at his new club, and Chelsea decided to sign him back in 1997 – making him the most expensive English defender at that time.

Graeme Le Saux spent another 6 seasons at Chelsea but this time it was marred by injuries. He eventually left the club for Southampton in a swap deal that saw Wayne Bridge move to Stamford Bridge in 2003.

#4 Nemanja Matic

When fans think of players who rejoined their former club, Nemanja Matic is often forgotten.

Chelsea initially signed Nemanja Matic in 2009 but he was loaned out to Vitesse after just two appearances. When the opportunity to bring in David Luiz came up, Benfica wanted the Serbian and the Blues were happy to let him leave.

Nemanja Matic enjoyed a good 3-year spell at the Portuguese side before Chelsea came calling again. The midfielder went on to win the Premier League twice and the FA Cup once before he was sold to Manchester United in 2017.

The Serbian is still with the Red Devils and is rated by their fans as the best defensive midfielder at the club – at the age of 33.

#3 David Luiz

Chelsea v Arsenal - UEFA Europa League Final

David Luiz was signed by Chelsea in 2011 and he was a vital part of the team. The Brazilian was an instant fan favorite and, at that time, one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the game.

PSG came in with a stunning offer for David Luiz before the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Brazilian was sold by Chelsea. The centre-back teamed up with Thiago Silva at the Ligue 1 side and won the league title in both his seasons in Paris.

His time at PSG did not last long as they sold him back to Chelsea after 2 seasons – for £16 million less than what they signed him for. The Brazilian went on to win the UEFA Europa League once again at Chelsea and the Premier League title before moving to Arsenal in 2019.

He is currently without a club after the Gunners released him in the summer.

#2 Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba had a fairytale ending to his first stint at Chelsea. The Ivory Coast legend scored the winning penalty at the Allianz Arena to help the Blues win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.

He left after his contract expired and moved to Shanghai Shenhua and later to Galatasaray. However, Chelsea came calling in 2014 when Jose Mourinho returned and Didier Drogba was back.

"He's coming because he's one of the best strikers in Europe. I know his personality very well and I know if he comes back he's not protected by history or what he's done for this club previously. He is coming with the mentality to make more history." said Jose Mourinho

Didier Drogba stayed at Stamford Bridge for two seasons – helping them with the Premier League and the League Cup before leaving.

#1 Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku is back at Chelsea – 7 years after they sold him to Everton. In between, the Belgian played for Manchester United and Inter Milan – gaining experience under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Chelsea have now re-signed Romelu Lukaku to lead the attack under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues are keen on winning the Premier League again and want the Belgian to help them get it.

The lack of a proven goal-scorer was the main issue in Thomas Tuchel's squad and the Chelsea board saw Romelu Lukaku as the ideal one to fill the slot.

About the author

Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.

Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.

Sripad believes in only using the right sources for his articles, and is an expert in understanding how to get the right quotes for each news to provide proper background information. His exploits have led him to become a popular figure in European Football and interviewing Premier League legends such as Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Paul Dickov, and John Barnes. His articles have been much revered amongst the football fraternity and have been shared by the likes of John Terry, Gary Lineker, and Declan Rice.

If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.

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Edited by Aakanksh Sanketh