4 Expensive Chelsea transfers that backfired in recent years amid Enzo Fernandez's club-record price
Chelsea are one of the top European clubs known for splashing out huge transfer fees on players in recent years.
Such an extravagant spending spree was predominant during Roman Abramovich's era at the club. New owner Todd Boehly seems to have continued in the same direction.
The American billionaire has splashed a whopping sum of money on new signings in his first few months of acquiring the West London club.
His Blues team is also currently linked with Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez in a deal that could be around €120 million.
#CFC
Chelsea are now in direct talks with Benfica for Enzo Fernández. Chelsea want to offer huge fee instead of paying release clause in one solution 🚨🔵 #CFC
Benfica always asked full €120m clause.
Understand Enzo already said yes to Chelsea.
#LFC or #MUFC made no bid, as of now. https://t.co/Kdvz5Eargi
Should the transfer eventually go through, it could make the 21-year-old midfielder the club's most expensive signing in history.
However, there are doubts about Chelsea spending such a huge amount of money on the youngster. This is because previous expensive transfers haven't really benefited the Blues in recent years.
Without further ado, this article will take a look at four highly expensive transfers made by Chelsea that didn't go to plan.
#4 Fernando Torres - £50 million
Most Blues fans will still remember the signing of Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Premier League rivals Liverpool in January 2011.
The move broke the British transfer record for a foreign player as Chelsea splashed a whooping £50 million to secure the striker's services.
8 years ago on Deadline Day, Chelsea signed Fernando Torres from Liverpool for a record £50 million fee.
What a day that was! https://t.co/P5H7F96rJP
While expectations were high for Torres to deliver at Chelsea, the Spaniard never lived up to his exorbitant price tag. It took the former Liverpool forward close to three months to score his first goal for the Blues.
Torres, who was the sixth-most expensive player in the world at the time, also had an overly difficult spell in front of goal. He scored 20 league goals for the Blues in well up to 110 appearances.
#3 Alvaro Morata - £60 million
Another player with an incredibly huge transfer fee that didn't live up to expectations at Chelsea was Alvaro Morata.
The Spanish striker joined the Blues for a then-club-record fee of around £60 million from Real Madrid in 2017.
Weekly reminder that Chelsea paid £60 million for Alvaro Morata.
Not £60, not £6 million but £60 MILLION.
#NEWCHE https://t.co/9cxrjp3pGZ
Morata's signing was one that many Blues fans hoped would be a long-term solution to the club's striking situation. This was because he arrived on the back of an impressive performance at Real Madrid.
Despite a bright start to life at Stamford Bridge, the Spanish striker eventually struggled to justify his heavy price tag. He scored a total of 24 goals in 72 appearances before leaving for Atletico Madrid.
#2 Kepa Arrizabalaga - £71.5 million
Another high-profile transfer done by Chelsea in recent years that hasn't justified the amount being paid is that of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Thibaut Courtois' decision to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 forced the Blues into paying a world-record transfer for Spanish shot-stopper Kepa.
The West London giants splashed out a whopping £71.5 million to secure his services from Atletico Bilbao, the entirety of his release clause.
Chelsea FC Highest transfer fee paid was for Kepa Arrizabalaga which was £71.5 million move from Atletic Bilbao in 2018. #CFC https://t.co/EXZ2KEdYL6
Kepa has barely lived up to the tag of the world's most expensive goalkeeper. He lost his starting spot to fellow shot-stopper Edouard Mendy for two straight seasons and just recently reclaimed the spot.
#1 Romelu Lukaku - £97.5 million
The Belgian striker re-joined the Blues for the second time in his career for a club-record deal in the region of £97.5 million from Inter Milan.
Chelsea had hoped to secure one of the top bargains of the 2021 summer window, despite paying such an outrageous fee for Romelu Lukaku.
However, the reverse turned out to be the case as the Belgian struggled to find his goal-scoring touch in West London. He scored eight league goals in 26 appearances for the Blues during the 2021-22 campaign.
Lukaku: “I hope to stay at Inter also in the future. I want to continue here as I love this club, we will speak to Chelsea in order to find a solution”, tells Sky 🚨🔵 #Inter #CFC
“Todd Boehly decided to let me leave after I told him the truth about my relationship with Tuchel”. https://t.co/4JHlCg3k3S
Lukaku eventually returned to Inter Milan on loan after spending just one season with the Blues. The Italian club also has the option to make his loan permanent.