Chelsea have struggled under Todd Boehly's ownership since he took over the club in May 2022.
Boehly has been accused of wasting money in the transfer market, spending massive amounts of cash for little return. Though they reached the Carabao Cup final this season, the Blues remain trophyless under Boehly's ownership.
It is a stark contrast to Roman Abramovich's time in the directors' box, when Chelsea enjoyed a stunning period of success. That success was bankrolled by Abramovich, who was able to sign a number of top players.
Two years into his ownership, Boehly can only dream of the success that Abramovich achieved. But how do the duo's transfer acumen compare? Here, Mirror Football takes a look at the two's first 10 signings.
Roman Abramovich's first 10 signings
Abramovich kicked things off by making a £6million move for Glen Johnson from West Ham. He made 33 appearances in his debut season, though he fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho and was sold to Portsmouth in 2007, winning the FA Cup a year later.
Premier League odds and betting tips
After that solid start, Abramovich landed on another hit by signing Geremi for £7m from Real Madrid. Like Johnson, he enjoyed a successful first year, before falling out of favour under Mourinho and being sold to fellow top-flight side Newcastle.
The first big-money signing came with Damien Duff, with Chelsea paying £17m to Blackburn for the Irishman. Duff spent three years with the Blues, scoring in the epic 4-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona, as well as the winner against Manchester United in the 2005 League Cup semi-finals.
Next came Wayne Bridge, with the left-back joining for £7m from Southampton. After winning the Goal of the Season in his first campaign, Bridge mostly played a back-up role before leaving for Fulham.
Wayne Bridge was an early success for Abramovich (PA)Abramovich's first real 'miss' came when he paid £15m to sign Juan Sebastian Veron. But the flop spent just one season with the Blues and made just 14 appearances, as he suffered a number of injuries, before being sold on.
After that misstep, Abramovich got back on track when he bought Joe Cole for just £6.6m. Cole starred for Chelsea, winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one League Cup before joining Liverpool.
Chelsea's owner came crashing back to earth when he signed Adrian Mutu for £15.8m. Mutu proved to be a disaster, as he clashed with Mourinho before being handed a seven-month ban from football after testing positive for cocaine and being shipped back to Italy.
Another misstep came with Alexei Smertin, who was signed from Bordeaux for £3.5m. The Russian was immediately loaned out to Portsmouth before being deemed surplus to requirements by Mourinho and leaving Stamford Bridge in 2008.
Alexei Smertin was one of Abramovich's transfer mistakes (Getty Images)Abramovich next opted to sign a big name, paying £16.8m to sign Argentine superstar Hernan Crespo. But the striker failed to hit the heights expected of him and struggled to compete with Didier Drogba, before being sold to Inter Milan in 2008.
Chelsea got themselves out of their funk by signing a modern-day legend in Calude Makelele. The Blues spent £16.6m to buy the midfielder from Real Madrid, with the Frenchman making more than 200 appearances as he won two league titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
All in all, Abramovich's first forays into the transfer market were successful. Out of his first 10 signings, the Russian had six hits and four misses, buying a certified legend along the way.
World Cup hero wants Man Utd move as doubts over Harry Maguire's future grow
Todd Boehly's first 10 signings
Raheem Sterling was Boehly's first signing as Chelsea owner (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)Boehly's first signing came just over a month after his arrival, at the start of what proved to be a manic summer window. That man was Raheem Sterling, with Chelsea paying £47.5m to buy him from Manchester Ciy.
But the winger has struggled at Stamford Bridge, losing his England place and being jeered during the FA Cup win over Leicester. Boehly's next signing quickly proved to be a flop as he spent £33m to buy Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli.
The defender had a difficult debut season and now plays in Saudi Arabia. The next arrival was Gabriel Slonina, though the keeper has spent his entire Blues career so far out on loan since joining from Chicago Fire.
Boehly focused on youth in his first window, with Aston Villa wonderkid Carney Chukwuemeka the next to arrive. The attacker has gradually worked his way into contention and is now a regular in Mauricio Pochettino's squad, though has not been a roaring success.
Carney Chukwuemeka has started to show bright sparks for Chelsea (Getty Images)With Ben Chilwell out for the long-term, Boehly opted to address that by signing Marc Cucurella from Brighton. But the left-back has failed to live up to his £57.5m price tag and has struggled badly for form under a succession of managers.
Boehly returned to the youth strategy by moving for Cesare Casadei. He has spent much of his time out on loan, though did win the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot awards in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, suggesting the Italian has a bright future.
Widely seen as one of the top-flight's brightest young defenders, Wesley Fofana seemed to be a solid signing despite his £70m price tag. But Fofana has been battered by injuries since his arrival and has struggled to make an impact as a result.
After realising the squad did not have enough forwards, Bohely next moved for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But the £10.3m Chelsea paid proved to be a waste of money as the striker quickly fell out of favour before leaving in the summer.
The signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved to be a disaster (Getty Images)A loan move for Denis Zakaria also failed to work out, with the midfielder making just 11 appearances for the Blues. Boehly's 10th signing came in David Datro Fofana, with the striker now impressing on loan at Burnley after struggling for first-team opportunities at the Blues.
In all, Bohely's transfer dealings have been a disaster, with the American so far bringing in no players who could be classed as 'hits'. In fact, three players have already left the club permanently after struggling so badly.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
