Chelsea Football Club are renowned for recruiting some of the world’s best talent, and this article looks at five of the best transfers made by the club in the 2010s. Sometimes it doesn’t work out for a handful of players that join, but for these five, it couldn’t have gone much better.
5. Kurt Zouma
This season may only be his second consecutive season at the heart of the Chelsea defence, but Kurt Zouma has turned out, in my opinion, to be one of the best value signings Chelsea have made in the last decade.
Despite only signing for the club in 2014, it feels like he has been around for much longer than six years. The £12m we paid St Etienne for Zouma, who at the time was just 19, then felt like a bit of a strange spend as it seemed as though he would be one of those players that signs but goes on to make about four or five different loan moves before the club send him away permanently.
It was far from that though. His first season saw him make 26 appearances in all competitions, helping Chelsea side win the Premier League and beat Tottenham Hotspur in the 2015 League Cup final.

His second season with Chelsea saw him eclipse that total by six appearances as he made a respectable 23 in the league, but under Antonio Conte the following season, he became rather out of favour, only making 13 appearances in all competitions during Chelsea’s title winning campaign.
Despite his lack of gametime, Zouma had shown he had all the top attributes to be a quality centreback and the following two seasons, he was sent on loan to Stoke City and Everton respectively.
He came back to Chelsea in time for Frank Lampard’s arrival as manager having made 73 appearances in all competitions for the sides he went on loan to and subsequently became a staple player in Frank Lampard’s defensive plans.
Now he looks irreplaceable at the back alongside Thiago Silva, as the Blues currently occupy fifth spot in the Premier League after eight games.
4. Diego Costa
He may not have been at Chelsea as long as he would’ve liked, but Diego Costa achieved cult hero status during his time at Stamford Bridge.
A man with a fiery temper and the ability to wind up any defender he wished, Costa hit the ground running – after his £32m move from Atletico Madrid – during his debut season with Chelsea, scoring 20 league goals as Chelsea won their 4th Premier League title and their 3rd under Jose Mourinho.

Despite Costa and the rest of the team underperforming massively the following season, their form returned under the title-winning stewardship of Antonio Conte, as Costa hit 20 league goals yet again.
He left the club under a rather dark cloud the following season, but Blues fans will never forget the top performances that Costa put in for the club and his character is still sorely missed.
3. N’Golo Kante
N’Golo Kante was one of Leicester’s, if not, their best players during their fairytale title winning season of 2015-16. The diminutive Frenchman never seemed to run out of steam on the pitch covering every blade of grass, putting up never seen before defensive numbers for a man of his position.
Many clubs circled for his signature following the Foxes’ Premier League win, but it was Chelsea who acquired his services for around £32m.
He was another player who was a crucial part of Antonio Conte’s 16-17 side, putting in quality performances game in, game out and is one of just a few players that has won a league title in consecutive seasons with two different clubs.
Nowadays under Lampard, his defensive numbers may have dropped slightly, but he remains a valuable part of the squad when called upon.
2. Cesar Azpilicueta
Where to start with this man? Captain Fantastic, Mr Consistent, call him what you want. This man has been one of the most loyal Chelsea players the club has seen in recent years.

Club captain since the start of last season, Azpilicueta has been one of the most loved players at the club since his arrival from Marseille in 2012. The £7m fee the Blues paid the French side for is said by many to be one of the bargains in the club’s history.
Two Premier Leagues and two FA Cups don’t tell the half of what a servant Azpilicueta has been for the club. Despite Reece James claiming the regular starting rightback spot this season, Azpilicueta has remained professional and what a pleasure it is to have someone like him at the club.
- Eden Hazard
This man is no doubt the best foreign signings I have seen for Chelsea in my lifetime and unless Timo Werner breaks all goalscoring records and wins multiple league titles here, I don’t see anyone emulating Hazard’s legacy.
Signing as a 21-year old for £32m from Lille in 2012, Hazard had already been tearing up Ligue 1 for a few years and his move to the Premier League certainly didn’t faze him. He hit the ground running in the league, becoming joint top assist provider with Juan Mata as the pair got 13 assists. Hazard also scored nine league goals, impressive in a Chelsea side who finished 3rd that season, 14 points off Champions Manchester City.
Throughout his Chelsea career, he brought joy to so many Chelsea fans with his sensational dribbling and flair and scoring so many unbelievable goals that will live long in the memory of everyone associated with the club.

A true icon of Stamford Bridge and maybe one day, he will make that return that everyone dreams of, whether it be as a player or a coach.