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It's been a few days into the winter transfer window and Chelsea have already made headlines by splashing £58 million on American youngster Christian Pulisic. The dearth of valuable players available for transfer coupled with the reluctance of clubs to let go of their performing stars mid-season has rarely barred Abramovich from conducting business in January.
Due to the unavailability of pre-season and lack of time to train with the team, new signings often encounter difficulties in settling into the squad. Moreover, there is an added pressure of immediate output as the signings are generally made to circumvent certain barriers that might be falling in the club's pursuit of their goal.
Since Abramovich's takeover in 2003, Chelsea have regularly splashed money in January to make sure their path to glory remains on trajectory. Although, spending heavily and denying academy players a chance by bringing dignified players mid-season for quick results, has not always worked.
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Here's a detailed look at some of the key transfers made by Chelsea in the last few winter transfer windows.
#4 Gary Cahill - Success
There is hardly another footballer in England who divides opinion as much as Gary Cahill. Signed from Bolton Wanderers in January 2012 for around £7 million, Cahill was brought in as a fourth choice center-back behind Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz, and club captain John Terry. However, frequent injuries and suspensions to other defenders helped Cahill squeeze his way into the first team.
The then 26-year-old made 10 premier league appearances and played in both the legs of the semi-final against Barcelona. While his former side faced relegation at the end of the season, Cahill won the FA Cup and the Champions League final where he started alongside Luiz in the absence of Terry and Ivanovic.
Following his impressive first half-season with the blues, Cahill became a mainstay at Chelsea and guarded the defensive line for the next six years before becoming a squad player. During his time at the West London club, the English defender has also endured two miserable campaigns in 2015-16 and 2017-18 which have brought him criticism from pundits as well as fans.
Nevertheless, he has guarded the Chelsea back line supremely well on most occasions helping them win a Champions League, Europa League, two FA Cups, a League Cup, two Premier Leagues, and has also been included in the PFA team of the year three times.
#3 Nemanja Matic- Success
Nemanja Matic was amongst the few Chelsea players to have managed to crack into the first team despite the club's vicious loan system. After signing for the blues in 2009, aged just 21, the Serb was restricted to just three appearances in his first campaign. A loan spell at Vitesse followed by interest from Benfica drove him out of Chelsea in 2011 making him one of the first players to fall prey to the club's way of dealing with young talents.
Over the next two years, the Serbian with his performances for Benfica established himself as one of the best in his position, attracting the interest from various top clubs across Europe. Amongst those, he impressed the most was Jose Mourinho, who brought him back to Stamford Bridge in January 2014 for £21 million. He instantly became an integral part of the squad making 17 league appearances in the second half of the season.
Under Mourinho, Matic became highly regarded for his ability to screen the defense while providing cover for the attack. His first full season with the blues earned him the League Cup, the Premier League and inclusion in the PFA team of the year. Following Jose's sacking in December 2015, the Serb remained a key player even for the new manager Antonio Conte who used him effectively in Chelsea's 2016-17 title-winning season.
Despite his success at Chelsea, Matic was longing a reunion with former boss Jose Mourinho and signed a deal with Manchester United in 2017. Before joining the Red Devils, the midfielder boasted of an impeccable 75% tackle success rate in 123 Premier League appearances.
#2 Mohamed Salah- Failure
Alongside Nemanja Matic, Jose Mourinho also brought Egyptian winger, Mohamed Salah for £11 million in January 2014. The winger had previously created an impression on the Chelsea board and staff with his sublime performances for Basel against the West London club.
Nevertheless, there was big doubt regarding whether he would buy sufficient game time in a team that already had Hazard, Oscar, Willian, and Schurrle. Consequently, Salah struggled to make his mark, scoring only once and starting most of the games from the bench during his first half season at the club. The following season didn't bring any joy for the Egyptian either. In the first half of Chelsea's 2014-15 title-winning campaign, Salah was restricted to a mere three Premier League appearances before eventually being loaned Fiorentina for the rest of the season.
A subsequent loan to Roma for the 2015-16 season followed, and the winger excelled, poaching 15 goals across all competitions before cutting ties with Chelsea, signing a permanent deal with Roma in 2016.
#1 Fernando Torres- Failure
Fernando Torres's time at Stamford Bridge might have brought the club trophies with the Spaniard even scoring crucial goals on occasions. However, the striker failed to justify his £50 million price tag. At the time of his signing in January 2011, Torres became the sixth most expensive footballer in the history of the game and also set a new record for a British transfer.
His debut came in probably the harshest circumstances he could have imagined, in a 1-0 loss to former club, Liverpool. Torres's first goal for Chelsea, which came in 3-0 win against West Ham after 903 minutes of goalless football, remained his only goal for the club that season in 18 appearances.
The striker's struggle to find the net didn't conclude as he managed only six goals in the Premier League during the 2011-12 season. He did, however, score the famous goal against Barcelona in the 2nd leg of the Champions League semi-finals which sent the blues to the finals and also won the corner from which Drogba equalized in the finals.
In the 2012-13 campaign, Torres enjoyed his best season with the blues. Although his sluggish form continued domestically, the Spaniard bagged nine goals in European competitions.
He decided to return to his former club Atletico Madrid in January 2015 after finding the net merely 20 times in 110 league appearances. Despite leaving his finishing boots at Anfield, Torres helped the West Londoners win the Champions League, the FA Cup in 2012 and the Europa League in 2013.
Other key mentions:
1) Branislav Ivanovic - January 2008 - Success
2) David Luiz - January 2010 - Success
3) Kevin De Bryne - January 2012 - Failure
4) Kurt Zouma - January 2014 - Yet to prove his worth (still at Chelsea)
5) Juan Cuadrado - January 2015 - Failure
