10 Biggest Dodged Bullets In Chelsea Transfer History

10. Christian Vieri

The hulking Italian striker was one of the biggest footballing names on the planet when Abramovich started on his first ever shopping spree, with a list of targets supposedly compiled in a letter from an ambitious young fan - which, if true, would at least go some way to explaining £15 million being wasted on Juan Veron. With the Russian seeking to assert his might in the transfer market, bids were made for just about every high profile player he was aware of. Alessandro Nesta was one of the first names thrown around and it was a real shame to have never seen such an elegant defender playing in Blue. Vieri was another Italian whom the club were not only believed to be close to signing, but actually thought to have signed at one point for £20 million. On the face of it, Vieri was a great target: prolific goalscorer, fluent in English thanks to growing up in Syndney and the kind of physical powerhouse who would fit right into the hussle and bustle of the Premier League. Unfortunately for Vieri, Abramovich changed his mind at the last minute and went for Hernan Crespo instead, which proved a lucky turnaround for Chelsea as Vieri's form hit a decline that season before dropping off a cliff two years later. Crespo didn't exactly go on to make a positive impact at the Bridge, spending most of him time either on loan or in a huff, but looking back at the way Vieri's career progressed, Chelsea probably chose the better of the two.