Chelsea made transfer deadline day moves as big-spending Blues complete record window

Despite a busy summer and a busy January, no one would rule out one last bit of business for Chelsea as they look to climb the Premier League table – at least if previous years are anything to go by.

The Blues were the biggest spenders over the summer, with the likes of Wesley Fofana and Raheem Sterling arriving as new owner Todd Boehly reminded the rest of the league about Chelsea’s financial might. More signings have arrived with the turn of the year, with Mykhaylo Mudryk arriving in a deal worth up to £87m and a further £100m+ going towards players including Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke.

While far from a guarantee, a last-gasp addition cannot be ruled out, with manager Graham Potter eyeing up midfield targets during the window. And Chelsea have a rich history of forking out transfer fees in the dying hours of the January window.

If Chelsea are to land their prime midfield target, it could see their January spending soar beyond £300m. The Blues have reportedly reopened talks with Benfica over a last-gasp swoop for Enzo Fernandez, who has a nine-figure release clause which should test just how much he is wanted in west London.

Potter’s team have also looked at Moises Caicedo, who would likely cost a little less than the £106m being touted for his fellow South American. In terms of previous last-gasp deals, though, it has been a blend of eye-watering deals and players for the future.

Mason Burstow (2022) was the most recent January deadline day addition, joining from Charlton. The young forward was loaned back to his previous club for the remainder of the season, the same thing the Blues have done this year with right-back Malo Gusto.

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The last few years of the Roman Abramovich era weren’t known for the big-money deals we saw earlier in the Russian’s tenure as owner. There were some big early-window deals, including the 2019 swoop for Christian Pulisic, but nothing on deadline day between 2019 and 2021.

Olivier Giroud (2018) was the last big-money first-team signing at this stage of the window. The Frenchman joined for £18m from Arsenal and became a fan favourite, helping his team win the Champions League and Europa League before moving to AC Milan in 2021.

Juan Cuadrado (2015) was Chelsea’s only January signing of any kind as they chased a league title under Jose Mourinho. The £23m Colombian didn’t stick around in London, though, joining Juventus on an initial loan the following summer and staying in Turin to this day.

Mourinho was a little busier the previous year, with two new additions. However, Mario Pasalic (2014) never played a competitive minute for Chelsea, instead carving out an impressive career in Italy.

Kurt Zouma (2014) arrived on the same day as the Croatia international and had a more successful time in west London. The £12.5m signing from Saint-Etienne played more than 150 times for Chelsea before being sold to West Ham in 2021 for more than double that amount.

That wasn’t the only time Chelsea signed two players on the same January deadline day. Patrick Bamford (2012) is another who has excelled away from the club after struggling to break through, and is now an England international thanks to his Premier League form with Leeds United.

Kevin De Bruyne (2012) joined at the same time as Bamford, and was also starved of minutes. The Belgian played just nine times for Chelsea before being sold to Wolfsburg, and has since gone on to excel in England with Manchester City.

Chelsea have even broken their transfer record on deadline day. Fernando Torres (2011) joined the Blues in a £50m deal, but fans will have mixed emotions about the Spaniard after he struggled in front of goal but still helped the club win two European trophies.

David Luiz (2011) began his first Chelsea stint as the less high-profile of the January 2011 signings, but quickly became a cult hero. The Brazilian had two spells at Stamford Bridge, rejoining from Paris Saint-Germain on the August transfer deadline day in 2016.

Not every deadline day deal has been a permanent signing. Ricardo Quaresma (2009) joined on loan from Inter Milan, but manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked just days later and the Portugal star struggled to make an impact under Guus Hiddink.

If Chelsea do end up making one final push for a target, previous history suggests there’s no guarantee of success. There have been signings who have flopped, as well as a few who have made a significant impression, but if you were asked to name the Blues’ most important signings of the last 20 years there wouldn’t be too many January deadline day recruits on the list.