10 Chelsea Players Who Weren't Worth The Hassle

Chelsea put a lot of time into all their signings. Shame they aren't always worth it.

By Xander Markham /

Signings at a major club are the result of months, sometimes years of extensive scouting and research. They are the result of collective agreements between the manager, board members and often a director of football over the needs and aspiration of the team and what one or more players can offer to bring those aspirations a little closer. Even when the player has been officially signed, the work is far from over. Even the right player needs to be carefully integrated into a team, given time to find their feet in new surroundings and the training to make the best of their talent and justify their cost. Sometimes players repay that trust with performances that elevate the club to heights never before imagined. Frank Lampard was deemed overpriced when he signed for Chelsea for £11 million from West Ham, yet his dedication in training and trust from various managers allowed him to flourish into perhaps the best midfielder of his generation and one of the best in Chelsea's history. Unfortunately, there are plenty of players who don't go on to achieve that same level of success and for various reasons never come close to fulfilling what was expected of them. Sometimes this is down to the player, often because of greed or arriving at the club under the wrong circumstances. For that type of player, check out my list of 10 Players Who Stole A Living From Chelsea. These are the players who, often through no fault of their own, just found Chelsea to be the wrong place at the wrong time despite all the club's effort in getting them there.