Top 10 signings ever made by Jose Mourinho

#5 Michael Essien (£34.2m from Olympique Lyon/On loan from Chelsea)

Michael Essien was one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League

Michael Essien was a key figure in Mourinho's Chelsea side and formed one of the league's most fearsome midfields alongside Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele. The Ghanaian was the perfect link between the two in the middle of the park.

His stamina and tackling allowed Lampard the freedom he needed to create space in the opposition's half and also helped Makelele in protecting the back four. Although his goal-scoring record is nothing to brag about, whenever he did score, he did it in style.

Essien only played under Mourinho for two years at Chelsea, but his impact on the team during their title-winning campaign in 2005/06 could not be overlooked. The Ghanaian international was able of taking control of the game and most importantly, he made the players around him look better every time he played.

Essien also joined Mourinho at Real Madrid on loan for one season. However, he struggled to have the same impact that he had in London and his career slowly went downhill from there. Nevertheless, his time at Stamford Bridge will be remembered fondly by the Blues' fans.