GRAHAM POTTER joined Chelsea in 2023 with a reputation as a progressive, new era of football coach, who created an identity in a Brighton team that previously had none.
So naturally, he seemed the right man to give the Boehly-Clearlake era at Stamford Bridge three things: stability, hope, and extremely clever recruitment – staples of what he had delivered at Brighton.
Under his leadership, the Blues signed EIGHT players in the January transfer window of 2023.
And with Chelsea set to face off against their former coach, now in charge of West Ham, on Friday night, SunSport has had a look at what was a disastrous group of signings…
The first two players through the door under Potter were Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana – two young recruits who personify Chelsea’s recruitment strategy.
Andrey Santos (£13m) went on loan to Strasbourg, establishing himself as one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe.
Now he is set to try and earn his place in Enzo Maresca’s starting XI this season with the club already rejecting offers in excess of £40m for his services.
Datro Fofana, however, represents the other side of the coin – an £11m signing from Molde FK who was supposedly the ‘next Drogba’ only to be loaned out to Union Berlin, Burnley, and Goztepe.
Chelsea are now seeking a permanent sale for the 22-year-old who played just three games for the Blues.
Next through the door was Benoit Badiashile for £35m from Monaco, followed by Joao Felix for a £9.7m loan fee.
Badiashile is still viewed as part of the Chelsea project, a tough defender who has had his pathway somewhat blocked by Cobham starlet Levi Colwill.
He’s made 34 appearances since signing, but may have a chance to prove his worth this season with Colwill injured.
Rating Potter’s signings
Here’s how SunSport rates each of the eight transfers….
David Datro Fofana – 2/10 – Cheap fee, went out on loan and failed, now looking for a sale.
Andrey Santos – 8/10 – Cheap fee, went out on loan and thrived, now a first team option worth a fortune.
Benoit Badiashile – 5/10 – Yet to prove himself, with mixed performances so far, decent depth for Chelsea.
Joao Felix (loan) – 2/10 – Signed on loan and underperformed, who knows why he was then re-signed.
Mykhailo Mudryk – 1/10 – Cost a fortune before being banned, minimal returns on an expensive investment.
Noni Madueke – 6/10 – A solid winger who helped the club progress, sold for a healthy profit to Arsenal.
Malo Gusto – 5/10 – A good first season followed by a disappointing second, Chelsea would recoup money spent on him if sold.
Enzo Fernandez – 8/10 – A very hefty fee, but Fernandez has been a key player in Chelsea’s recent successes, a leader in the team who has improved year-on-year, this should be a huge campaign for him.
As for Joao Felix, his signing was a disaster under Potter.
But, somehow, Chelsea then decided to make the deal permanent after a mediocre season at Barcelona.
He scored four goals in 16 games under Potter, and despite showing flashes of brilliance, fans were left underwhelmed on the whole.
Four days later came a big one, Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal before Chelsea swooped in with a £62m deal agreed with Shakhtar Donetsk, plus a further £27m in bonuses.
After an electric debut at Liverpool and some Conference League flashes of greatness, it is impossible to deny that Mudryk’s signing was a disaster.
The winger is currently facing a four-year ban from football after being charged by the FA over doping, with Chelsea now looking forward with the signing of Jamie Gittens and it looking like Alejandro Garnacho will join too.
Noni Madueke was signed next, arguably one of the better bits of business done in this era.
He joined from PSV for £30m and after two seasons of improvement in which he contributed to a top four finish and the Conference league win, was sold to Arsenal for a profit.
Potter’s penultimate signing was Malo Gusto for £31m from Lyon, which represents decent value for the Blues, even though he has had a mixed experience at Chelsea so far.
Chelsea are a better team when Reece James plays instead of him, but, when James was injured, Gusto really stepped up before a disappointing second season.
There are questions over how he fits into Maresca’s system now.
And lastly came the most expensive of the lot – Enzo Fernandez on deadline day – signed for £107m from Benfica.
He came with so much hype, off of the back of a World Cup winning season where he had become one of the most hyped young midfielders on the planet.
When you’re signed for over £100m, generally, you aren’t afforded time to ‘settle in’ to the Premier League, and Fernandez wasn’t.
He was harshly criticised by Chelsea supporters and wider football fans – but he has somewhat turned it around.
His consistency perhaps leaves something to be desired, but he has become a leader under Enzo Maresca and is a crucial part of Chelsea’s plan that has so far led them back into the Champions League and to becoming World Champions.
Perhaps he was a little expensive, but plenty of fans at Stamford Bridge wouldn’t swap him for many other players in world football.
Chelsea’s transfer deals
IN
- Joao Pedro – from Brighton – £60m
- Jamie Gittens – from Dortmund – £52m
- Jorell Hato – from Ajax – £37m
- Liam Delap – from Ipswich – £30m
- Estevao – from Palmeiras – £29m
- Dario Essugo – from Sporting Lisbon – £18.5m
- Kendry Paez – from Independiente – £17.5m
- Mamadou Sarr – from Strasbourg – £12.5m
TOTAL – £256.5m
OUT
- Noni Madueke – to Arsenal – £52m
- Joao Felix – to Al-Nassr – £44m
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – to Everton – £28m
- Djordje Petrovic – to Bournemouth – £25m
- Lesley Ugochukwu – to Burnley – £25m
- Armando Broja – to Burnley – £20m
- Bashir Humphreys – to Burnley – £15m
- Mathis Amougou – to Strasbourg – £12.5m
- Kepa Arrizabalaga – to Arsenal – £5m
- Marcus Bettinelli – to Man City – £5m
TOTAL – £203.5m
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