Ranking Chelsea's Top 10 Summer Signings of the Past 10 Years
Backed by the vast wealth of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea have been one of the Premier League's most active clubs in the transfer market this past decade.
Since the 2005/06 season, the Blues have signed over 80 players to the tune of more than £760 million. It's been a massive investment, but it hasn't always given Chelsea the best results.
Some players such as Deco and Salomon Kalou have proved flops in that time. They simply didn't give Chelsea what they hoped their transfer fees would bring.
That said, there have been some massive success stories. Gary Cahill has gone on to win every major honour in domestic and European football since he joined Chelsea in January 2012. Meanwhile, the likes of Nicolas Anelka, David Luiz and Kurt Zouma have all been big figures in west London.
Those players all have something in common: they joined Chelsea in the winter transfer window, so don't make our list for the Blues' top 10 summer signings.
So who does? Well take a look.
10. Florent Malouda
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Signed for just £13.5 million from Lyon in 2007, French winger Florent Malouda proved excellent value for money at Chelsea.
He would go on to make over 200 appearances for the club, scoring 45 goals.
Malouda was a skillful winger who had the capacity to stretch defences and carve out openings for his team-mates. He linked up well with Didier Drogba, but his presence also benefited others in Chelsea's attack, such as Frank Lampard.
The French ace was also part of Chelsea's UEFA Champions League success in 2012.
9. Thibaut Courtois
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When Chelsea signed Thibaut Courtois in June 2011, he was just 18 and the best we could say about the Belgian is that he was a potential No. 1 for the future.
Fast forward five years and Courtois is now a bona fide first-choice goalkeeper who is ranked among the world's finest stoppers.
He spent three seasons on loan with Atletico Madrid where he fine-tuned his skills, picking up enough experience to return to Chelsea in 2014/15.
It takes a player with supreme talent to dislodge Petr Cech and Courtois did just that. He's had a rocky season this term, but if he remains at Chelsea for the future, the club's goalkeeper position looks to be in safe hands.
All this from a player who cost a mere £5 million.
8. Cesar Azpilicueta
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When Cesar Azpilicueta arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012, he was supposed to compete with Branislav Ivanovic at right-back. Eventually, though, he would end Ashley Cole's Chelsea career on the opposite side of the defence.
It says a lot about Azpilicueta's ability that he has staved off a couple of challenges from world-class players for his position in the Chelsea starting lineup. The fact he is playing out of position only adds to the achievement.
First it was Cole, then Filipe Luis was forced to fall on his sword and accept defeat. The right-back has become Chelsea's first-choice left-back.
Azpilicueta's playing out of position on the left, but you wouldn't know it. He's proved himself an exceptional defender in his four years in west London.
Chelsea signed him from Olympique de Marseille for a mere £6.5 million.
7. Cesc Fabregas
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Cesc Fabregas is a fine midfielder and when Chelsea play their best football, it's with him on top form.
Since his arrival from Barcelona two years ago, the Spaniard has made a considerable impact in the Stamford Bridge midfield. He's helped dictate the way team operates, combining with those further forward to make Chelsea the Premier League's deadliest side in 2014/15.
The Blues were able to romp to the title that season because of what Fabregas achieved in the middle of the park. He controlled games, proving efficient with possession and picking up assists in the process.
This year was more difficult for him, but that was more to do with the failings of others and the collapse of the system in which he played.
It was no surprise that when Fabregas was able to get back to his best, Chelsea's results picked up in 2015/16.
6. Diego Costa
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With Didier Drogba now gone, Chelsea have the striker can they build around in Diego Costa. The Spain international has everything to succeed in English football, as he has shown in the past two years.
His goals were a big part of why Chelsea lifted the 2014/15 Premier League title. He struggled for the first part of the following campaign, but when he rediscovered that scoring touch, Costa showed there are few better strikers in front of goal.
Costa brings an aggressive edge to Chelsea's attack. He likes to mix it with defenders and that can give the Blues the upper hand when he's doing it in the right way.
He still has so much more to achieve in his career and there's no reason why he shouldn't be doing that at Chelsea.
5. Michael Essien
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He was called the "Bison" for good reason at Chelsea. Michael Essien was a monster in the midfield, bulldozing his way through opponents in the way Jose Mourinho craves.
It was Mourinho who brought him to Stamford Bridge in 2005 for that reason, meaning he just about qualifies for our top 10 as that campaign sits on the edge of our 10-year window.
Alongside Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard, Essien gave Chelsea one of the meanest midfields the Premier League has ever seen, let alone the Blues.
He was a proper athlete, capable of running endlessly and closing out games. He was also a good footballer, with the ability to pull off the odd bit of magic like his goal against Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League semi-final.
4. Juan Mata
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Juan Mata only spent two-and-a-half years at Chelsea, but what a time it was with him at the club.
The Spaniard won the club's Player of the Year trophy for two seasons running after helping them to Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League success.
Mata was exceptional as Chelsea's No. 10 and since he joined Manchester United in January 2014, the Blues have struggled to find his replacement.
He never reached the same levels as Gianfranco Zola—Mata would have needed a few more years at Stamford Bridge to be that highly regarded—yet he had an air of the Italian maestro about the way he played.
He could carve out openings from tight areas and scored some big goals at vital moments. His attitude to the game meant he was a much-loved figure on the terraces, too.
3. Eden Hazard
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The hope for Chelsea fans is that lists of this kind will soon see Eden Hazard move up to take the No. 1 spot. He isn't quite there yet, but he certainly has the capacity to get there.
After a difficult season in 2015/16, mainly defined by injury, Hazard showed glimpses in the final few matches of what he is capable of. Of course, Chelsea fans already knew that as everything prior to the start of the previous campaign was about his genius.
Hazard is phenomenal talent and his performances for the club, right from his debut against Wigan Athletic in August 2012, have been a real pleasure to watch.
He uses his perfectly shaped glutes to explode past players. That creates space and when Hazard has that extra yard in front of him, he embarrasses defenders.
If he's back to his best next season, Chelsea won't be too far from the reckoning when it comes to titles.
2. Michael Ballack
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It's still hard to believe that Chelsea were able to sign Michael Ballack from Bayern Munich for nothing. That's right, he joined the Blues in the summer of 2006 for zilch thanks to the Bosman ruling.
Forget the past 10 seasons, there hasn't been a more skillful midfielder arguably in Chelsea's entire history. That doesn't put him above the likes of Frank Lampard in the greatness stakes, but for what he gave Chelsea during his time at Stamford Bridge, Ballack was supreme.
Whereas Lampard was the box-to-box goalscoring machine, Ballack played with a little more grace. His ball skills were exceptional, and he brought an added class to Chelsea's midfield area.
The German was everything you would want a superstar to be.
1. Ashley Cole
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When we think of Chelsea's greatest defenders, Ashley Cole is right up there with the very best. Indeed, outside of John Terry, there's an argument to suggest there hasn't been a better player than Cole at the back.
Signed from Arsenal for just £5 million in 2006, his eight years at Chelsea were that successful that you can be forgiven for thinking his career didn't start that summer. Cole became very much a Chelsea player in that time, almost rendering everything before that as void.
He won the Premier League, the FA Cup on four different occasions, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League.
Cole was never a passenger in those Chelsea teams. His performances on the left were always of the highest order, and he became one of the few reliable players down the years.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
