18 Chelsea signings who were meant to be the business… but weren’t

Chelsea had plenty of money to splash in the Roman Abramovich era – and as such, they were able to afford the occasional slip-up in the transfer market.

However, they didn’t need wealth to screw up – there are plenty of pre-Abramovich examples too. They’ll be hoping the same can’t be said of the Todd Boehly era, but who knows?

We’ve looked back at some of those Chelsea signings who were supposed to be the bees’ knees but failed to do the business.

Straight down to business with this one.

Oh, Timo.

READ: Nine Bundesliga stars who struggled in the Premier League

One of the first signings made by the ‘new’ Chelsea, Mutu started like a train with four goals in his first three games, but a strike in a cup defeat to Arsenal in February 2004 would end up being his 10th and last for the club.

The Romanian tested positive for cocaine in September 2004, prompting the club to sack him and take him to court in an effort to recover the money they spent to bring him to London.

That court case went on for several years, with the Blues eventually winning, but they’d have probably rather had his goals and on-pitch ability instead.

Chelsea fought hard to sign Kakuta, and by ‘fought hard’ we mean ‘went to court and risked a transfer ban’.

The Blues were so desperate to sign the France youth international from Lens that they allegedly broke some rules to do so, earning them a two-window transfer ban which was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The winger ended up playing just 16 times for the club and has given up on a France call-up, making his DR Congo debut in 2017.

An honourable mention also goes to Bertrand Traore, another youngster ‘signed’ in questionable circumstances, whose arrival led to the transfer ban on