It’s hard to believe that Chelsea have gone seven years without claiming a Premier League title after such promise shown by former boss Antonio Conte.
The Blues last claimed a league triumph back in the 2016/17 season, winning the title by seven points from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur – losing just five games all campaign.
Players such as Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fàbregas all played an integral role in the first-team squad, with the Spanish striker notching 20 goals and ending the year as the club’s top scorer.
Whilst the campaign was undoubtedly a roaring success for the Italian during his first season at Stamford Bridge, he would dip into the transfer market during the summer looking to build on his debut year at the helm.
However, it’s safe to say the new additions had varying levels of success during their respective periods with the Blues in West London.
Chelsea’s transfer window in the summer of 2017
The Blues weren’t afraid to splash the cash after the departure of players such as Costa, Nemanja Matic and Nathan Ake – spending just shy of £200m on new talent in one window.
The most expensive addition was that of striker Álvaro Morata, arriving at Stamford Bridge in a £58m deal from Real Madrid, but his move was nothing short of a disaster.
The Spain international bagged 24 goals during his two-year stint in England, before returning back to his homeland to join Atlético Madrid after a successful loan spell during the last six months of his Chelsea nightmare.
Tiemoue Bakayoko was another big-money addition, costing a huge £40m – but like Morata really struggled to impress during his own time with the Blues.
Álvaro Morata
Real Madrid
£58m
Tiemoue Bakayoko
Monaco
£40m
Danny Drinkwater
Leicester City
£35m
Antonio Rüdiger
AS Roma
£29m
Davide Zappacosta
Torino
£23m
The French ace could only notch 43 appearances for Chelsea, before spending various loan stints all around Europe and being unable to cement his place in the club’s first team.
He would spend five years at the Bridge, before departing on a free transfer – highlighting how much of a poor addition he was for the club, especially considering his hefty price tag.
However, there’s also another player from that same window who also bled the club dry of a huge amount of money.
Danny Drinkwater's total cost at Chelsea
Midfielder Danny Drinkwater arrived at Chelsea in a £35m deal with a lot of expectations after winning the Premier League title a couple of years prior with Leicester City.
Alongside Bakayoko – and with N’Golo Kante already at Stamford Bridge – the hope was that the club had secured themselves a partnership that could star at the heart of the side for many years to come.
As seen with the French talent, that unfortunately wouldn’t be the case, with the Englishman also struggling to impress during his own time in the capital.
He only made 22 appearances in all competitions during his debut season with the Blues, following that up with just one more during the 2018/19 campaign.
The now 34-year-old would be sent on various loan spells to the likes of Aston Villa, Burnley and Reading – before eventually departing Stamford Bridge at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Everyone involved with the Blues would’ve been glad to see the back of the midfielder after his failed stint, especially when taking his £100k-per-week wages into account.
His subsequent earnings would see him earn two times more than current first-team star Noni Madueke, who only earns £50k-per-week despite his excellent form under current boss Enzo Maresca.
When combining Drinkwater’s earnings during his time with the Blues with his huge transfer fee he cost a staggering £48m – which saw him cost around £2.1m per appearance in Chelsea colours.
The decision to greenlight the transfer was understandable at the time, given his involvement in Leicester’s famous success, but it’s safe to say the move was a disaster.
Given the sizeable figure forked out by the hierarchy, coupled with his lack of impact on the pitch, the deal will certainly go down as one of the worst in the club’s history.
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