da roleta： Chelsea’s transfer strategy over the last few seasons has seen them sign plenty of hugely talented players.
da bet7： The likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Estevao and Marc Cucurella, for example, are some of the most exciting in the Premier League.
However, the Blues have also signed more than their fair share of flops, some of whom still need to be moved on as soon as possible.
This includes an international centre-back who was once compared to John Terry.
The worst centre-backs signed under Todd Boehly
While Chelsea have made at least one poor signing in practically every position since Todd Boehly and Co took charge, they seem to have had particular bad luck at centre-back.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.
For example, ranking as one of the worst signings the club have made over the last few years is Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Blues paid Napoli around £33m for the then-highly rated and vastly experienced defender in 2022, and to their credit, it seemed like a good signing at the time.
After all, the monster centre-back was long seen as one of the best in his position in Europe, but it quickly became apparent that the West Londoners had picked him up a few years too late.
He was slow on and off the ball, prone to mistakes, and simply looked out of place in the Premier League, and was sold to Saudi Pro-League side Al-Hilal after just one year.
Another defender who has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, or even get close to them, is Benoit Badiashile.
The former AS Monaco gem joined the Blues in January 2023 for a fee of around £35m, and at the time, fans thought the club had just secured one of the best up-and-coming defenders in French football.
After all, he made his debut for the Ligue 1 side at just 17 years old, and by the time Chelsea came knocking, he had already amassed an impressive tally of 135 appearances for them.
Standing 6 foot 4 inches tall and described as the “complete centre-back” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his speed, power and ability on the ball, it seemed like he would be a hit.
Unfortunately, while he wasn’t as bad as Koulibaly, he has still made far too many mistakes and was limited to just 16 starts across all competitions last season.
There might be a way back for the Frenchman now he’s fit again, but the same cannot be said for one of his teammates, who was once compared to the iconic John Terry.
The Chelsea player compared to John Terry
One of the members of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad,’ Maresca and Co. need to get rid of Axel Disasi as soon as possible, for his benefit as much as the club’s.
It’s hard to imagine it now, but when the 27-year-old centre-back first joined the Blues, in the summer of 2023, there was a fair deal of excitement from fans and pundits alike.
After all, here was a French international who had made a brief appearance in the World Cup final the winter before and someone who was one of the most exciting defenders in Ligue 1.
In fact, just a few years before his move to Stamford Bridge, talent scout Jacek Kulig compared him to Virgil van Dijk and described him as “a true hidden gem” who was “born to play in England.”
The Gonesse-born titan’s time in West London couldn’t have got off to a better start, either, as on his debut, he scored a header to earn his side a point against Liverpool.
Unfortunately, over the following months, he would begin to struggle with the quality of the league, but then-boss Mauricio Pochettino kept him in the team, and away to Manchester City in February, he got his rewards.
The former AS Monaco ace was sensational against the champions, and according to Jamie Carragher, his “John Terry performance” was the reason the Blues left the Etihad with a point.
Appearances
61
Minutes
4974
Starts
56
Goals
5
Assists
2
Points per Game
1.89
That is just about the highest praise a Chelsea defender can get, and unfortunately, he has not performed anywhere close to that level since.
The following season saw him stay at Stamford Bridge for the first half, but he was sent on loan to Aston Villa for the second half, where he made ten appearances and failed to stamp his authority on the backline.
Things have gotten even worse this year, as, at the time of writing, the only appearance he has made was for the club’s U21S against Reading’s U21S last week.
Unfortunately, it is clear that Maresca has no intention of even including Disasi in his squad this season, so considering he’s earning £80k-per-week, and for his own sake, Chelsea should look to sell him as soon as possible.
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