16 December 2023 , 07:00
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Chelsea have spent more than £1billion on transfers since a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
Huge money has been spent on the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Mykhailo Mudryk since Boehly and co took over, although that has not yet translated into success with Mauricio Pochettino's side currently languishing 12th in the Premier League.
Previous owner Roman Abramovich was also not afraid to splash the cash during his time in charge, having initially bought the club from Ken Bates in 2003 for £140m. In his first transfer window in charge, Abramovich oversaw the signing of 11 new players.
Chelsea had not won a major trophy since 2000 before Abramovich's takeover, but went on to lift 19 pieces of silverware during his tenure including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues. With that in mind, Mirror Football takes a look at his first transfer window in charge.
HITS
Glen Johnson
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The first player signed by Abramovich, Johnson joined Chelsea after West Ham were relegated to the Championship and starred for two seasons as he helped the Blues win the double under Jose Mourinho in 2005.
However, he fell out of favour the following season and joined Portsmouth on loan in 2006 with the move becoming permanent the next year. A successful spell at Liverpool followed, before Johnson announced his retirement in 2019 after a stint at Stoke.
Claude Makelele
Perhaps the best signing Chelsea made that summer, Makelele was integral to the Blues' success during his five years at Stamford Bridge. They forked out almost £17m to sign the midfielder from Real Madrid, with manager Claudio Ranieri claiming he would be the "battery" of the team.
A lynchpin in the centre of the park, Makelele helped Chelsea win five major trophies joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2008. The 50-year-old later returned to Chelsea in 2019 as a youth coach, before leaving his role earlier this year.
Claude Makelele joined Chelsea from Real Madrid (PA)Wayne Bridge
Signed for £7m from Southampton, the left-back was a regular for Chelsea before falling down the pecking order under Mourinho with Asier del Horno and Ashley Cole signed in consecutive seasons to provide competition. Bridge ultimately left for Manchester City in 2009, before retiring in 2014 after a stint at Reading.
Hernan Crespo
Although he may not have hit the same heights he did in Serie A during spells at Parma, Lazio and Inter Milan, Crespo was far from a flop at Chelsea. The forward netted 25 goals in 73 appearances for the Blues, helping them win the league in 2006.
He left Chelsea after that season, rejoining Inter on a two-year loan and spent the rest of his career in Italy before retiring in 2012. Crespo has since moved into management and is currently in charge of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.
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Geremi
An underrated player during his four years at Chelsea, Geremi was capable of playing both in midfield and defence and was particularly important during Mourinho's first spell having joined the club from Real Madrid for almost £7m.
"In my team I love to have Geremi on the bench because he's a low-profile player who is ready to help, ready to fight for the team, ready to do the job I want him to do," Mourinho said. Geremi left Chelsea to join Newcastle in 2007 and also had stints at Turkish club Ankaragucu and Greek outfit AEL before retiring.
Joe Cole and Juan Sebastian Veron both joined Chelsea in 2003 (Press Association)Damien Duff
The winger joined Chelsea from Blackburn for £17m, becoming Abramovich's most expensive signing that summer, and he played a key role under both Ranieri and Mourinho. He left the club in 2006 to join Newcastle and also had spells at Fulham, Melbourne City and Shamrock Rovers before retiring in 2015 and moving into coaching.
Joe Cole
An excellent signing from West Ham, Chelsea spent just £6.6m to bring Cole to Stamford Bridge with Ranieri proclaiming him to be the perfect replacement for club legend Gianfranco Zola. He went on to enjoy great success during a seven-year stay at Chelsea, helping them win six major trophies.
Following his departure in 2010, Cole spent time at Liverpool, Lille, West Ham, Aston Villa, Coventry and Tampa Bay Rowdies before retiring to rejoin Chelsea as a youth coach. Cole now works as a pundit for TNT Sports.
MISSES
Adrian Mutu's move to Chelsea did not work out (ALESSANDRO ABBONIZIO/AFP via Getty Images)Adrian Mutu
After scoring 18 goals for Parma in Serie A, Chelsea forked out £15.8m to sign the forward and he immediately hit the ground running with four goals in his first three games for the club. However, that was as good as it got for Mutu whose form tailed off before he was hit with a seven-month ban after testing positive for cocaine.
Chelsea ultimately sacked Mutu and his career never really recovered, with the Romanian international representing Juventus, Fiorentina, Cesena, Ajaccio, Petrolul Ploiesti, Pune City and ASA Targu Mures before retiring in 2016.
Juan Sebastian Veron
Signed from Manchester United for £15m despite two lacklustre campaigns, Veron only made 14 appearances for Chelsea due to injury problems. He left the club after just one season, joining Inter on loan, before returning to boyhood club Estudiantes where he finished his career.
Alexey Smertin
The midfielder joined Chelsea from Bordeaux for £3.45m and was immediately sent on loan to Portsmouth. When he returned to Stamford Bridge the following year, Ranieri had been replaced by Mourinho and he only played a bit part role for Chelsea before being sold to Dynamo Moscow in 2006.
Neil Sullivan
The goalkeeper joined Chelsea from Tottenham to provide cover for Carlo Cudicini and only made eight appearances for the club before leaving to join Leeds. He ended up spending two full seasons at Elland Road, before seeing out his career at Doncaster Rovers.