The 5 players Chelsea signed along with Lukaku in 2011 & how they fared

A year after completing an apparently fairy-tale, £97.5million return to Chelsea from Inter Milan, Romelu Lukaku is headed straight back in the opposite direction on loan following a disastrous season in west London.  

Lukaku first joined Chelsea from Anderlecht as an 18-year-old in 2011 but then as now, he struggled to establish himself in the side. Three years after that initial arrival, he was sold to Everton.

But he wasn’t the only arrival at Stamford Bridge in the summer he was signed for the first time. We’ve taken a closer look at the other five players they signed ahead of the 2011-12 season.

Lukaku wasn’t the only talented Belgian that Chelsea snapped up in the summer of 2011.

Courtois joined the Blues from Genk and was immediately sent out on loan to Atletico Madrid, where he developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

After three successful years in Spain, he returned to Stamford Bridge in 2014 and usurped Petr Cech to become their undisputed No.1. 

The Belgium international then made over 150 appearances for the club over the following four seasons, winning two Premier Leagues, the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Despite Chelsea’s best attempts to keep him, Courtois decided to return to Spain and completed a permanent move to Real Madrid in 2018.

He won a league and Champions League double in 2022, knocking out Chelsea en route to the European Cup and putting in a stunning performance against Liverpool in the final.

Weirdly, he used his interview after that final to frame the victory as a message to the press and fans in England.

“Today I needed to win a final – for my career, for all the hard work, to put respect on my name because I don’t think I have enough respect, especially in England,” he said.