Chelsea signed future club legend, World Cup winner and massive £72m flop in record transfers

View 3 Images

Chelsea have built a well-documented track record for lavish spending in the transfer market. Before their takeover spearheaded by Roman Abramovich in 2003, the Blues enjoyed domestic glory with international stars such as Gianfranco Zola, Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli, who all joined for relatively modest fees.

Yet it was with the arrival of the Russian billionaire that Chelsea 's expenditure eclipsed that of every rival. More than two decades on, the Premier League club certainly faces stiffer competition in the market, but their appetite for spending shows no sign of waning .

The Blues have forked out in excess of £1.5billion on new recruits since BlueCo - fronted by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss - sealed their takeover in 2022 . The new regime announced their intentions emphatically in their first full season by landing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.

Chelsea agreed to trigger his £106.8m release clause to make him their record signing while smashing the British transfer record. The 2022 World Cup winner, 25, struggled initially after arriving in west London but went on to become crucial under Enzo Maresca and is anticipated to play a pivotal role for Xabi Alonso this season.

However, the Argentine's future remains up in the air, with reports indicating he is pushing for a switch to Real Madrid . Carrying the mantle of Chelsea's most expensive player is quite the burden, and one that Didier Drogba shouldered magnificently throughout his nine-year association with the club across two spells.

The Ivorian set the Blues back £24m in 2004, a staggering outlay that simultaneously made him the priciest striker in English football. Drogba justified his hefty price tag in his very first season, netting 16 goals across all competitions as Chelsea claimed their first Premier League title and lifted the League Cup.

The legendary striker went on to become a cornerstone of the dominant Chelsea side that emerged over the following decade, adding three further league titles to his haul along with the club's first ever Champions League trophy.

View 3 Images

He departed as a club icon in 2012 with 157 goals in 341 appearances, before making a comeback in 2014 under former boss Jose Mourinho to secure a second Premier League and League Cup double.

Breaking transfer records by position is something Chelsea have continued to do since Drogba, with the acquisition of Kepa Arrizabalaga not only smashing their own benchmark but crowning the Spaniard the most expensive goalkeeper in history - a distinction he retains to this day.

View 3 Images

FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

The 31-year-old goalkeeper arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2018 for £71.6m from Athletic Bilbao, but never justified his hefty price tag. Inconsistent performances and a string of high-profile blunders blighted his seven-year spell at the club, which also included loan stints at Real Madrid and Bournemouth .