Chelsea Transfers: 10 Worst Signings Of Abramovich Era

All things considered, it cannot be denied that Chelsea's tenure under Roman Abramovich has been utterly successful. The man seems to understand and have a passion for football, and has an unwavering desire to win at all costs. And when I say at any cost, that truly means at any cost. Abramovich has opened his cheque book to sign numerous players for extortionate amounts of money (not to mention all the severance packages for all the managers he sacked). This summer alone, Chelsea spent approximately £80 million on players such as Eden Hazard and Oscar, and there are no signs that the spending will stop there with the January transfer window now open. His greatest signings, in a list including Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Claude Makelele, Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole, Juan Mata, etc., etc., have led Chelsea to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and most importantly of all last year's Champions League. Nevertheless, beneath the glory and the silverware, lies a filthy stain of all the players that were signed by Abramovich that failed to live up to the rest of the squad's ability. Some of these players were overpriced. Some were overhyped. A few were over-the-hill. And one was even over the limit in a drug's test. The good thing about Abramovich is that he doesn't let the setbacks bother him, and will inevitably continue to spend to experience victory as often as possible. The downside is that the money that could have been spent on stadium expansion or ensuring ticket prices remain steady has been splashed on a player that looks to have two left feet, has the temperament of a toddler, and couldn't find a net in the World Fishing Championship. Perhaps Roman would save himself a few quid for a rainy day if he takes some advice from the following raft of mediocre talent.

Honourable Mention: Fernando Torres (January 2011, £50 million)

A great deal of people were quick to attack Fernando Torres' move to Chelsea, not least the Liverpool supporters. The £50 million price tag was massive, and there were questions as to whether Torres would be able to live up to that hefty valuation. It appeared as though the answer was a resounding no. In the first six months of his arrival at Chelsea, Torres scored precisely one goal in eighteen games. For those that are struggling to work it out, that is £50 million per goal. His goalscoring didn't improve the following season, as he was outshone by the soon departing Didier Drogba, and Torres only scored eleven goals in forty-nine appearances. Form that would certainly merit him a place on this list, and with Drogba's departure placing even more pressure on Torres to produce the goods, it seemed the worst was yet to come. However, Torres has recently been showing signs of improvement at Chelsea, becoming a more valuable commodity by providing more chances with his hold-up play and scoring more regularly. With the current season only half-way through, he has already scored fourteen goals, surpassing his previous efforts for Chelsea. Abramovich seems to see the potential returning, and with his manager now being Rafa Benitez, the orchestrator of his goalscoring exploits at Liverpool, it may be that Torres has turned a corner in his Chelsea career. Don't get me wrong, he can probably never be described as one of Chelsea's greatest, and if his form doesn't dramatically improve, he will definitely find himself on this list, and right at the very top too. But, the jury is still out, and he hasn't let the bad publicity stop him from returning to some sort of form. Perhaps he will prove to have been worth the cost after all. It's highly unlikely, but possible. Click "next" below to start our countdown;