There are players ruined by Chelsea that never made it to limelight. Chelsea has had a long history of success in the world of football, most of that coming much recently under the former ownership of Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich. To achieve this the club has had some of the best players to grace both the English and world game.
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Think of the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard. All these players are considered world-beaters and took the club to heights they had never known. Because of their success, they have also been able to attract some of the best and brightest talents in the game in the hopes of improving their team.
These talents have oftentimes added more to the team but there have been instances where the club has caused the steep decline of star players. They came to Chelsea as superstars but left as flops. These are eight such players.
Players Ruined by Chelsea
1. Timo Werner
First on the list, we have Timo Werner who came to Chelsea on fire from RB Leipzig. At the time of his signing, the German was one of the most lethal and versatile forward players in the world and Chelsea were seen to be getting the next big thing.
Little did they know how much he would struggle at the Bridge as he netted just 23 times in 89 appearances and was frequently criticized for his lack of end product. It became a running joke as to how easy the chances he missed were and he soon found himself on the bench under Tuchel.
He looked like a man lacking any confidence towards the end of his tenure. Even Thierry Henry chimed in saying he struggled at Chelsea because he didn’t ‘feel the love’ at Stamford Bridge. Whatever it was, he and Blues fans were content when his ill-fated spell in London ended, rejoining Leipzig at half the price they sold him for.
2. Kai Havertz
We can’t mention Werner without also putting his international teammate Kai Havertz on this list. Despite the fact that he scored the Champions League-winning goal for them, we have to put him here because he never got anywhere close to expectations.
The Blues spent over 80 million euros to sign who they thought would be the player they would build the team around for years to come. They even beat the likes of Real Madrid to his signature. Who they got instead was an inconsistent player who managers never knew what to do with.
See: 7 Players Ruined By Manchester City
From number 9 to winger to midfield, multiple managers tried to play him everywhere and more often than not, the results were not good. This would eventually lead to his departure to rivals Arsenal who seem to be getting the German back to his best.
3. Fernando Torres
No list would be complete without the player who practically made the term ‘flop’ mainstream- Fernando Torres. The Spaniard was undoubtedly the best striker in the league when Chelsea came knocking. He had formed a formidable partnership with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard at Anfield and were on their way to becoming club legends. The allure of the Bridge proved too much though as he would leave to join Chelsea in 2011 for £50 million, a Premier League record at the time.
The fee brought expectations that he would struggle to ever get close to as his time in blue was nothing short of a disaster. His lack of goals became a sore spot for supporters and his confidence became so bad he even began to miss open goal opportunities. In 172 appearances, El Nino netted only 45 times for the Blues before eventually ending a torrid time in 2015 as he was sold to AC Milan.
4. Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko was on top of the world before joining Chelsea. He won the top individual honor in 2004 and was one of the most feared strikers in the world while at AC Milan. Roman Abrahamovic poached the striker for a record £30.8 million fee at the time. But Shevchenko failed to live up to the hype, scoring 14 goals in 51 appearances in his debut season at the club.
The appointment of Luis Felipe Scolari saw the former Ballon d’Or winner being loaned out to former club AC Milan. But, Shevchenko was far from the heights he had touched during his first spell with the club. He remained a mere shadow of his former self, unable to revive his career, eventually leaving in 2009 for Dynamo Kyiv.
5. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
Arsenal fans went into a meltdown when the Gabonese striker signed for their rivals after leaving the club but they should not have worried as his best days were clearly behind him. Advertised as a reunion between manager Tuchel and player, Aubameyang came to the club thinking he would be able to find his form of old under his previous manager.
Little did he know that he would only play one game under Tuchel before the German was relieved of his duties. In stepped Potter and out stepped Aubameyang as the Englishman never really favored him. This led to a miserable time at Chelsea before eventually leaving a year later to join Marseille.
6. Gonzalo Higuain
The strikers aren’t done yet as we have an Argentine next in Gonzalo Higuain. Under Maurizio Sarri at Napoli, Higuain had scored a joint record number of Serie A goals in a season; 36. This wasn’t the case when he joined Chelsea on loan to link up with his former manager.
He would end up scoring 75% of his goals against sides relegated from the league that season (Huddersfield and Fulham), before adding another couple against Burnley and Watford. He seemed too immobile for the English league and therefore the likes of Hazard were able to get more out of playing with Giroud. He didn’t leave much of an impression and returned to Juventus 6 months later.
7. Danny Drinkwater
One player that tends to go under the radar in lists like this is former Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater. The Englishman, who was a key figure in Leicester City’s title-winning side during the 2015/16 season, moved to Chelsea in 2017 for £35m, signing a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
However, the move did not work out for him as he was left on the sidelines for much of his time there and saw his career stall, making just 23 appearances for the club and scoring a single goal.
He was loaned out multiple times before finally being released in 2022. Speaking on his time at the club afterward, he expressed frustration as to how things had gone and how he was treated towards the end. He would go on to retire a year later at age 33. Truly heartbreaking for him!
8. Kalidou Koulibaly
Last but certainly not least we have a player who was the best at his position for many years before joining the Blues- Kalidou Koulibaly. The Senegalese had been linked with a move away from Italy for years but nothing ever materialized for him. It finally did when he was 31 and no one could have known how badly it would go. Napoli were finally able to win Serie A without him while Chelsea were free falling into some of their worst form under Potter.
He played 32 matches in all competitions as the Blues slumped to a 12th-placed Premier League finish. He was either injured or failed to impress in his year there before being shipped off to Saudi Arabia this past summer. A colossal failure!
Do you know any other players who have suffered while at Chelsea?
Let us know in the comments.
