10 Biggest Dodged Bullets In Chelsea Transfer History

7. Ryan Shawcross

Another case of Chelsea missing out on a solid player before getting an excellent one instead, Ryan Shawcross was believed to be a first choice target for Andre Villas-Boas when he took over in 2011/12. The pugnacious defender was seen as a dead cert for a future England international, if not captain, and was already commanding an impressively watertight Stoke defence to higher than expected league finishes. Chelsea made enquiries, supposedly along with Manchester United, but found Stoke's asking price too high with no room for negotiation. Instead, the Blues waited six months before snatching Gary Cahill out of Bolton's hands for a solid £7 million. There was some concern over the move, particularly since Cahill hadn't been enjoying the best of form for Bolton prior to his departure and was generallyseen as a less promising player than Shawcross. Many expected him to be nothing more than a squad player, providing cover for David Luiz or Branislav Ivanovic alongside John Terry but without much chance of breaking into the first team on a regular basis. In the finest Lampardian tradition, however, Cahill went on to prove his doubters thoroughly wrong, rising magnificently to the challenge and performing with aplomb from the moment he first pulled on a Chelsea shirt. Cahill's exemplary performance in the 2012 Champions League final, leading by example in a team lacking many of its first choice defensive options, dragged the Blues to an historic victory and hasn't looked back since. Shawcross, meanwhile, continues to perform manfully for Stoke, never seriously troubling Roy Hodgson's England selections and sometimes being just a little too violent for his own good. Chelsea got this one spot on.