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Kai Havertz of Chelsea Fc looks on during the Uefa Champions League Group H match between Juventus Fc and Chelsea Fc

Ranking Chelsea’s 7 summer 2020 signings from shocking to pretty decent

Ben Stewart •

The 2020-21 campaign was a hectic one for Chelsea fans to say the least, the club parted company with Frank Lampard halfway through the season and ended up winning the Champions League.

Fresh off a transfer ban in the previous season, Chelsea wanted to splash some serious cash in the summer of 2020 as they ended up signing seven new stars from around Europe.

We’ve revisited Chelsea’s 2020 window and have ranked all seven of their signings from worst to best. Note: we have only included signings who have gone on to make a first-team appearance for the club.

7. Malang Sarr

Chelsea snapped up the French defender and immediately sent him out on loan to Porto. He did briefly appear for Chelsea in the following season, but only made eight league appearances in total.

Fast forward to 2023 and Chelsea are looking to offload him this summer. Strasbourg, who Chelsea’s owners hold a majority share in, are said to be interested in the 24-year-old. That should be an easy negotiation then.

6. Timo Werner

The German forward will be fondly remembered for that goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, but his overall spell at Chelsea was nothing short of a disaster.

He was the biggest xG underperformer in the Premier League during his debut season and his miss compilation will make your toes curl. After two sup-par seasons in England, Chelsea sold him back to RB Leipzig for half of their original investment.

5. Hakim Ziyech

The 30-year-old lit things up for Morocco in the 2022 World Cup, but he never managed to hit the same levels in a Chelsea shirt. He’s often been a bit-part player while at Stamford Bridge and never quite managed to hit the heights that were originally expected.

Chelsea might even struggle to shift him off their wage bill this summer after a move to Saudi Arabia fell through after failing his medical. That pretty much sums up his time at the club.

4. Kai Havertz

The hype surrounding Havertz around the summer of 2020 was immense. Following another prolific season with Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea bit the bullet and splashed around £71million on the forward.

Despite some fleeting moments of magic, he ultimately fell well below expectations while in London. He struggled to make much of an impression at Stamford Bridge and the club ultimately did quite well to sell him for £65million.

Still, he’ll always be remembered for that goal.

3. Ben Chilwell

At his best, Chilwell is arguably one of the best left-sided defenders in the league. Injuries have heavily hampered his time at Stamford Bridge so far, but the quality is undeniably there.

Mauricio Pochettino has a knack for getting the best out of full-backs and Chilwell will surely be excited to work under the Argentine coach. Next season could be make or break for the 26-year-old.

2. Edouard Mendy

Things might have tailed off towards the end, but at his peak, Mendy was one of the best goalkeepers in the business. He was vital in Chelsea’s Champions League winning campaign and was brilliant during his first two Premier League seasons.

Considering he cost just £22million, you can’t have many complaints here. Chelsea also managed to recoup £16million through his sale to Al Ahli and he leaves the club with plenty of memorable moments.

1. Thiago Silva

Undoubtedly Chelsea’s best bit of business from the summer of 2020. Silva joined on a free transfer and is still going strong today at 38 years old.

He’s aged like a fine wine and will no doubt play a key role under Pochettino next season.

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