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#3 Kepa Arrizabalaga - £155,000
After the departure of Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid, Chelsea bought Kepa Arrizabalaga for £72 million, making him the world's most expensive goalkeeper in 2018.
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The Spaniard had a decent first season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 36 Premier League games. He also played a key part in Chelsea's Europa League winning campaign. But things have gone downhill for the 26-year-old since then.
He made several individual errors during the 2019-20 campaign and managed to keep just eight clean sheets in 33 Premier League games for the Blues. His frailty in front of goal even led to him being replaced by Willy Caballero towards the end of that season.
With Kepa failing to perform, Chelsea bought Edouard Mendy from Rennes last summer and the Senegalese has been first-choice for the Blues since then. He kept 16 clean sheets in 31 Premier League games and also came big for the Blues in their Champions League-winning campaign last season.
Kepa has now accepted his role as second-choice keeper at the Premier League club. The Spaniard has done well in the few games he has played under Tuchel, even helping the Blues lift the UEFA Super Cup via the penalty shootout. But being the fifth-highest paid player at the club and not being first-choice definitely makes Kepa one of the overpaid players at the club.
#2 Ben Chilwell - £190,000
After Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri failed to convince Frank Lampard in the left-back position, the then Chelsea manager decided to bring in Ben Chilwell from Leicester City.
The England international immediately hit the ground running, scoring and assisting on his Premier League debut and was a regular starter under Lampard. The likes of Emerson barely featured for Chelsea at the time while Alonso was completely frozen out by Frank Lampard.
But the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in January saw Alonso return to the fold as Tuchel reverted to a 3-5-2 formation with the Spaniard starting at wing-back. Alonso was preferred in the first few games under Tuchel but Chilwell eventually did manage to earn his starting position back at the business end of the season.
However, Alonso seems to have regained Tuchel's trust with the Spaniard starting all three Premier League games for Chelsea this season. Chilwell, on the other hand, is yet to play a single minute of the 2021-22 season.
It might be harsh to criticize Chilwell after he played a key part in Chelsea's top-four finish and Champions League win last season. But a player of his caliber with such high wages will definitely be expected to provide a more formidable challenge to Alonso for the left-wing back spot.
#1 Timo Werner - £272,000
Timo Werner, the third-highest paid player at Chelsea, has had a mixed start to his Stamford Bridge career so far. When the German international arrived from RB Leipzig last summer, many expected him to be one of the top scorers in the Premier League during the 2020-21 season.
But Werner struggled in front of goal throughout the season, missing several gilt-edged chances and managing to score just 12 goals in all competitions for the Blues. His pace was utilized effectively by both Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel but his finishing left a lot to be desired.
Due to Werner's poor form in front of goal, Chelsea bought in Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan in a club-record deal. The Belgian immediately hit the ground running and replaced Werner in Chelsea's front three. He put in impressive displays against both Arsenal and Liverpool in his opening two Premier League games.
Chelsea will be hoping that Lukaku's arrival will take the pressure off Werner and help him get back to his best. The German has certainly failed to justify his wages so far at the club.
