Chelsea’s spending in the transfer market over recent years has been erratic to say the least, with the club splashing huge figures on players who haven’t been up to the level required for a top-four Premier League side.
Mykhailo Mudryk is undoubtedly the biggest example of the club’s poor recruitment, joining the Blues in a £89m deal from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023.
The Ukrainian has since only registered seven goals in his 62 appearances for the club, with Todd Boehly currently forking out £12.7m per goal he scored during his time in West London.
However, he’s also teammates with another player who has failed to make an impact after his own big-money move to Stamford Bridge a couple of years ago. Still, at least Mudryk is actually among Maresca’s cohort of players…
Ben Chilwell’s time at Chelsea
After a successful five-year stint in Leicester City’s first-team, left-back Ben Chilwell moved to Chelsea during the summer of August 2020 to help improve the club’s full-back department.
The club paid a staggering £50m for his services – a huge fee for a left-back – with the move being an unsuccessful one four years on.
Chilwell has made 106 appearances at Stamford Bridge but has massively struggled with fitness and injury issues after his big-money transfer.
As a result, it’s allowed Marc Cucurella to secure his place as a regular starter under new boss Enzo Maresca, with Chilwell no longer part of the Italian’s plans at the Bridge.
The former England international has found himself away from the first-team squad, being forced to train separately – an indication as to how quickly his Chelsea career has declined over the last couple of years.
However, he still has a market value higher than a former Blues talent who was once destined for big things at the club. In an alternative reality, both would be key members of not only the Chelsea side, but the England team too.
Tammy Abraham’s declining market value
Striker Tammy Abraham came through the Cobham academy, impressing on various loan spells at Bristol City and Aston Villa – scoring a combined 52 goals in 88 appearances over the two stints.
The latter loan allowed for a first-team spot at his boyhood club, scoring 30 goals in 78 appearances between 2019 and 2021, before leaving under the reign of Marina Granovskaia in a £34m transfer to Serie A outfit Roma.
Tammy Abraham’s stats since leaving Chelsea in 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
2021/22 | 53 | 27 | 5 |
2022/23 | 54 | 9 | 7 |
2023/24 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
2024/25 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Stats via Transfermarkt | |||
It was a move to allow him to gain more valuable first-team minutes, but he’s been plagued with injury issues in Italy, with the “monster” 26-year-old, as described by former boss José Mourinho, suffering an ACL injury in 2023 – never fully recapturing his best form – which saw him join AC Milan on loan this summer.
As a result of his torrid luck with injuries, Abraham has seen his market value plummet in recent months, with the Englishman now only valued at £12m as per Football Transfers.
His subsequent value is lower than that of former teammate Ben Chilwell, who’s still valued at £16.1m despite his recent exclusion from Maresca’s first-team setup.
Despite the club’s recent hunt for a new striker, they made the right call in selling Abraham, with the 26-year-old failing to reach the heights many thought he would after his early promise during his younger years.
His unbelievable misfortune with injuries is undoubtedly a shame to see, but given his rapid decrease in market value, Chelsea sold him at his peak price – allowing for added investment and quality in the current first-team setup. This was a rare success story for the Blues in recent windows.
