Chelsea recorded their worst-ever Premier League finish when they finished 12th last season. Just over six months later – and under a new manager – things have not got any better.
Mauricio Pochettino was expected to be the man to turn the Blues’ fortunes around, and was backed heavily in the summer by owner Todd Boehly, but his team are still struggling to string positive results together, and they dropped to 12th after losing 2-0 to Everton on Sunday.
It was Chelsea’s seventh defeat of the season, a dire return for a club that has spent £1bn over the last three transfer windows, but Pochettino still wants to bring new players through the door next month.
Boehly has not been afraid to splash the cash in his first 18 months at Stamford Bridge, but it has not had the desired effect, with very few players living up to expectations.
Mail Sport has ranked Chelsea’s signings under the American owner on a scale from 1-10, with their miserable run showing no signs of ending any time soon.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has spent £1bn on players in his first 18 months at the club
Chelsea have struggled with discipline and have lost seven of their 16 league games this term
Raheem Sterling
Sterling was the first signing of the Boehly era when he joined in July 2022, and plenty was expected of the £50m man after he won four Premier League titles at Manchester City.
But his first season was a disappointment as he scored just six league goals, failing to hit the heights that he did at the Etihad Stadium.
There have been signs of improvement this term, and he already has five goals to his name, but he has still blown hot and cold at times and continues to be overlooked for England by manager Gareth Southgate.
He can be considered one of Chelsea’s better signings – but that’s not saying much – and the 29-year-old still has more work to do if he wants to get on the plane for Euro 2024 next summer.
Rating – 5/10
Kalidou Koulibaly
Koulibaly had been widely recognised one of Europe’s best defenders for a number of years, but signing a 31-year-old for £34m on a four-year deal always appeared a risk. It didn’t pay off.
The Senegalese centre back never settled in England following his move from Napoli, looking clumsy on the ball and half a yard slower than when he was at his brilliant best.
Chelsea persisted with him throughout last season, but he never looked like finding his best form, and they had little option but to move him on in the summer as he joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal.
Chelsea signed Koulibaly years too late, and did not get value for money at all.
Rating – 2/10
Kalidou Koulibaly had a season to forget at Chelsea before being offloaded in the summer
Carney Chukwuemeka
Signed as a bright young hope from Aston Villa last summer, Chukwuemeka was largely ignored by Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard in 2022-23.
Yet he still put club ahead of country by pulling out of the group stages of the Under-20 World Cup to help Chelsea during an injury crisis earlier this year.
In return, he made two substitute appearances and started in a 4-1 defeat against Manchester United.
Things appeared to be on the up for him at the start of this season as he started both of Chelsea’s first two matches, scoring in the latter at West Ham. But he limped out of that match with a knee injury and is yet to return from that setback. He is still only 20 so has time on his side, but he hasn’t delivered on his promise so far.
Rating – 4/10
Marc Cucurella
Cucurella looked a serious player in his only season at Brighton, and Chelsea stumped up £62m to land him after Manchester City pulled out of the race for his signature.
He also got the chance to play under Graham Potter again when the manager arrived in west London barely a month later after also being enticed away from Brighton.
But it just hasn’t worked. Cucurella has had his defensive qualities consistently questioned, and is perhaps only still at the club to cover for Ben Chilwell, who can’t seem to stay fit.
Pochettino has bizarrely played Cucurella as a right back in recent matches, and he has continued to look lost on the pitch. Must be moving towards last-chance saloon territory at Chelsea.
Rating – 3/10
Marc Cucurella has not looked the same player at Chelsea as he was at Brighton
Wesley Fofana
Is it wise to spend £70m on a player after they’ve only just returned from a broken leg? Probably not, but Chelsea did it anyway.
Fofana then injured his knee within weeks of joining Chelsea and missed the majority of last season.
He tore his ACL over the summer, and is not due to be available again until the latter stages of this season.
He has had rotten luck over the last two years and it would be wrong to mark him too harshly, but there must be doubts over whether he will ever be the same player again after a number of heartbreaking setbacks, and Chelsea may regret making him the most expensive defender in their history.
Rating – 4/10
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aubayemang joining Chelsea on loan at the end of last year’s summer transfer window looked to be a shrewd move at first. Bringing in the former Arsenal man to work under Tuchel – a manager he previously thrived under at Borussia Dortmund – appeared smart business.
Boehly then proceeded to sack Tuchel the following week.
Potter didn’t fancy Aubameyang at all, and the Gabonese forward was frozen out of the squad for the majority of the second half of the campaign, having been left off the Champions League squad list for the knockout stages.
Aubameyang finished with three goals in 21 appearances, which now looks even worse as he is currently flourishing at Marseille.
Rating – 2/10
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was frozen out for the majority of last season at Chelsea
Denis Zakaria
Zakaria arrived on loan from Juventus as somewhat of an unknown quantity.
After hardly playing in the first half of the season, he had fans raving about him and even calling for him to be signed permanently when he delivered an impressive performance against City in January.
That proved to be the only high point of his stay, though. He was restricted to just 11 appearances in all competitions, scoring only once.
Juventus don’t appear convinced by him either, and loaned him out to Monaco this season.
Rating – 2/10
David Datro Fofana
The Ivorian striker was Chelsea’s first January signing last season, but he is clearly just a player for the future.
The 20-year-old featured just four times in the second half of the campaign before being loaned out to Union Berlin in the summer.
May be able to force his way into the club’s plans at some point, especially as their goalscoring problems have persisted this season, but he is some way down the pecking order for now.
Rating – 3/10
Benoit Badiashile
Badiashile was one of Chelsea’s better performers as the wheels came off in the second half of last season, and the 22-year-old looks to have a bright future.
A hamstring injury kept him out for the opening months of the current campaign, but he is now back and has slotted into Pochettino’s preferred starting XI.
Thiago Silva remains the senior figure at the back for Chelsea, but Badiashile may need to step up if the Brazilian leaves in the coming months.
He looks capable of being the leader of the defence in years to come, but Chelsea must find a long-term option to play alongside him.
Rating – 6/10
Benoit Badiashile has been one of Chelsea’s better signings under Boehly
Joao Felix
Felix was brought in to solve Chelsea’s goalscoring issues, but got sent off in his first game against Fulham and immediately had to serve a three-match suspension.
The Portuguese star is undoubtedly talented, but he flattered to deceive during his short stay in London, scoring four goals in 20 matches.
Chelsea will have expected more given that they paid a £9m loan fee to get him from Atletico Madrid, and they decided not to push to sign him permanently in the summer.
He has since gone on loan to Barcelona and is playing well, with club president Joan Laporta keen to keep him beyond this season.
Rating – 4/10
Mykhailo Mudryk
Chelsea pipped Arsenal to the signing of Mudryk having been happy to splash out £88m on the Ukrainian winger. Arsenal went on to sign Leandro Trossard instead, and have clearly got the better side of the deal.
Mudryk arrived with a huge reputation, with Brighton boss Robert De Zerbi – his former manager at Shakhtar Donestk – tipping him to challenge for the Ballon d’Or in the future.
He has looked nowhere near that level over the past 11 months. Mudryk failed to score or register an assist last season, and he has only been marginally better this term.
He has four goal involvements in 2023-24, but has still been in and out of the side and is yet to fully convince that he is the real deal. Right now, it looks like money poorly spent by Boehly.
Rating – 3/10
Mauricio Pochettino is still trying to get the best out of £88m January signing Mykhailo Mudryk
Noni Madueke
Chelsea wanted more creativity in January and plumped for Madueke, spending £26m to sign him from PSV Eindhoven.
There were some positive signs in his first few months at the club, and he was the team’s bright spark when he scored his first goal in a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.
He then won the Euros with England’s Under-21s over the summer, but things have quickly gone downhill since then.
The 21-year-old is hardly making the matchday squad after falling out of favour under Pochettino, and it would not be a major surprise to see him moved on either next month or in the summer.
Rating – 2/10
Malo Gusto
Chelsea sealed the signing of Gusto in late January before allowing him to return to Lyon on loan for the rest of the season.
The exciting full back looked like a good addition to cover for Reece James, whose fitness has let him down in recent seasons. The only problem is Gusto is now injured himself.
He got two assists in a 3-0 win against Luton in the third game of the season, but was then sent off against Aston Villa the following month, and has been unavailable for Chelsea’s last four games due to a knee problem.
It is far too early to write him off, but Chelsea having Gusto and James sidelined at the same time is no use to them whatsoever.
Rating – 4/10
Enzo Fernandez
The Blues refused to take no for an answer in their pursuit of Fernandez last winter, and they finally got their man for a then-British record transfer fee of £107m on deadline day.
The Argentine had won the World Cup the previous month and was the standout midfielder in that tournament, so it was understandable that Chelsea pushed the boat out to get him.
Watching Fernandes play, it is evident that he is a classy operator in the middle of the park. But is he worth in excess of £100m? Not a chance.
He is only 22 and has to be one of the first names on Pochettino’s teamsheet, but Chelsea should still want a lot more from him to justify his huge price tag.
Rating – 5/10
Enzo Fernandez is one of Chelsea’s better players but is yet to justify his hefty price tag
Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku was the first player through the door in the summer after a deal was agreed between Chelsea and RB Leipzig prior to the transfer window opening.
He looked sharp in pre-season and ready to take the Premier League by storm, but he picked up an unfortunate knee injury during Chelsea’s tour of the US and has been sidelined ever since.
Pochettino is being extra cautious with Nkunku as he is desperate to avoid rushing him back only for him to get injured again. But the 26-year-old should make the squad soon, and then we can judge him.
Rating – N/A
Nicolas Jackson
After arriving from Villarreal, Jackson hit the ground running in pre-season and was a handful for Liverpool on the opening day.
But his finishing and ability to stay onside has been a problem all season, leaving fans frustrated with his end product.
Six goals in 15 appearances looks like a decent return, but it must be remembered that he scored one of the worst hat-tricks in Premier League history against nine-man Spurs last month, on a night where he should have scored six.
His partnership with Nkunku before the forward’s pre-season injury looked to be blossoming and the pair may hit it off again once Nkunku returns. But, as things stand, Jackson has a lot to prove if he wants to be Chelsea’s long-term No9.
Rating – 3/10
Nicolas Jackson’s poor finishing and tendency to stray offside has become an issue for Chelsea
Lesley Ugochukwu
The teenage midfielder helped Rennes finish in the top four in Ligue 1 last season, and Chelsea decided to snap him up for £23.5m in August.
He has largely been limited to cameo appearances off the bench this season, with Pochettino preferring the likes of Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher in his midfield.
The 19-year-old was handed a rare start against Newcastle last month, but failed to make the most of it as the Blues were hammered 4-1 at St James’ Park.
He has missed the team’s last three matches with a minor injury and is expected back soon. The Frenchman is still waiting for his breakthrough moment at Stamford Bridge.
Rating – 4/10
Axel Disasi
Chelsea spent almost £40m to sign Disasi from Monaco and he has been a regular starter this season.
Yet he has looked uncomfortable on the ball at times, and it appears a mistake is never too far away when he is around.
Pochettino has asked him to fill in at right back on a couple of occasions due to injuries to James and Gusto, but it is clear that he isn’t suited to that position.
Chelsea may view him as the player to replace Thiago Silva on the right-hand side of their centre back pairing, but Disasi still has a way to go to reach the consistent level of the ageing Brazilian.
Rating – 4/10
Robert Sanchez
The goalkeeping position has been an issue for Chelsea over the past two years. They looked like they had found a reliable shot-stopper in Edouard Mendy, but his form dropped off at an alarming rate and he was moved on in the summer.
In came Sanchez, perhaps initially as a No2, but that changed quickly when Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Real Madrid.
Sanchez has had the gloves all season, but his distribution has been a major concern throughout.
He gifted Arsenal a way back into the game when Chelsea were 2-0 up at Stamford Bridge, and has failed to convince in the weeks since. The 26-year-old picked up an injury against Everton on Sunday and could now be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Chelsea may need to dip back into the market to find another goalkeeper, as Sanchez has not done enough to show that he should be their go-to man for years to come.
Rating – 3/10
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has looked shaky during his opening months at the club
Moises Caicedo
Caicedo was involved in the transfer story of the summer, with Chelsea and Liverpool battling for his signature.
Both clubs had offers accepted by Brighton, but the player chose Chelsea and moved to west London for a British record £115m fee.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, he has looked a shadow of the player that shone for Brighton last season.
While City and Arsenal can rely on Rodri and Declan Rice, respectively, to protect their defences, Caicedo has not offered Chelsea’s backline the same cover.
They have been shipping goals regularly this season, and Caicedo must take his share of the blame for that as his side’s holding midfielder.
Rating – 3/10
Chelsea paid £115m for Moises Caicedo, but he has not lived up to expectations so far
Romeo Lavia
This was another deal that wasn’t straightforward for Chelsea, with Southampton holding out for £58m before letting their man go.
However, he picked up an ankle injury just days after joining the Blues and hasn’t made his debut yet.
Lavia thrived at Southampton last season, and Chelsea fans should get to find out soon whether he can replicate that form at Stamford Bridge.
Rating – N/A
Djordje Petrovic
Petrovic was picked up from MLS side New England Revolution to challenge Sanchez for his place in the side.
The fact he hasn’t managed to displace Sanchez may be a worry for some, considering Sanchez has hardly been pulling up any trees with his own performances.
But Petrovic may get his chance to shine after Sanchez was forced off through injury on the weekend.
Petrovic came on in the closing stages at Goodison Park and conceded a late goal, but it would be unfair to rate him just yet based on less than 10 minutes of action.
Rating – N/A
Cole Palmer
Saving the best for last. Palmer is the one signing that may give Boehly and co hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
It was somewhat of a surprise that Pep Guardiola was happy to let the City academy talent leave in the summer, but Palmer wanted to get out and play regular first-team football.
He has done just that at Chelsea, scoring five goals and being their main creative spark in the opening months of the season.
His performance saw him called into the England squad during the last international break, and he made his Three Lions debut against Malta at Wembley.
The pick of the bunch when it comes to Boehly’s signings, and he looks set to play an important role for club and country for years to come.
Rating – 7/10
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s best signing since Boehly arrived at the club
