Chelsea FC is one of the most successful football clubs in England, and throughout their history, they have signed some fantastic players. Here is a closer look at some of the best players ever signed by Chelsea in the summer transfer window after a UEFA European Championships tournament.
Top five players signed by Chelsea after a UEFA European Championships tournament
Chelsea have made several shrewd signings during the summer transfer window. Here are the names of just a handful of the best signings they’ve made shortly after the conclusion of a UEFA European Championship tournament or just before the tournament started.
The top 5 signings include:
- Player: Eden Hazard. Country: Belgium. Joined Chelsea: June 2012. Position: Striker
- Player: Didier Drogba. Country: Ivory Coast. Joined Chelsea: July 2004. Position: Striker
- Player: Petr Cech. Country: Czech Republic. Joined Chelsea: July 2004. Position: Goalkeeper
- Player: Gianluca Vialli. Country: Italy. Joined Chelsea: July 1996. Position: Striker
- Player: Arjen Robben. Country: Netherlands. Joined Chelsea: Summer 2004. Position: Winger
These are just five of Chelsea’s most memorable signings made just before, during, or after the UEFA European Championships tournament.
A look at some of Chelsea’s other best-ever signings
Some of Chelsea’s other best-ever signings who went on to have very successful careers and will always be remembered by fans are big-name players, such as Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele, Gianfranco Zola, Ashley Cole, and Michael Essien.
That’s not forgetting Marcel Desailly, Ricardo Carvalho, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dennis Wise, and Roberto Di Matteo. Some fans will be quick to point out several other top signings, such as Cesar Azpilicueta, Ruud Gullit, Eidur Gudjohnsen, and Paulo Ferreira.
We may even see Chelsea sign one or two more big-name players currently playing at the 2024 European Championships in Germany.
A further look back in time to some of Chelsea’s most famous signings
Chelsea fans of a certain age who can remember even further back will also agree that Peter Bonetti was a fantastic signing, along with Ian Hutchinson, David Speedie, Tommy Baldwin, and Pat Nevin.
Some of the other historical signings made by Chelsea that proved to be a success were Steve Clarke, Peter Sillett, Kerry Dixon, George Hilsdon, Charlie Cooke, and Roy Bentley.
Who have been the standout players at Euro 2024?
Now that we have reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, we can take a look back at some of the key players who have put in some exceptional displays and have stood out from the crowd in terms of their abilities on the pitch.
One of the players who has been mentioned several times is Portugal’s goalkeeper, Diogo Costa, mainly because of his heroics in the penalty shootout against Slovenia. Portugal won, and Costa became the first-ever goalkeeper at the Euros to save the first three penalties.
Spain’s winger Nico Williams is said to be unplayable, while teammate Fabian Ruiz has arguably been one of the tournament’s strongest and most reliable midfielders. Another Spanish player, midfielder Rodri, has also been named as one of the tournament’s most outstanding players.
Swiss attacking midfielder/winger Ruben Vargas is another one of Euro 2024’s top players, along with Germany’s attacking midfielder/winger Jamal Musiala.
Final thoughts
Chelsea may already be looking to sign one of these world-class players, but we will have to wait and see if they can lure any of them to Stamford Bridge in time for the upcoming 2024/25 EPL campaign.
Chelsea’s opening game of the season is on August 18, when they host current reigning champions Manchester City, and their next league game is away to Wolves on August 24.