Chelsea have made some top signings for good transfer fees over the years, as some players have gone on to prove to be worth more than the fees paid for them by delivering more than required on the pitch.
ESPN have released a ranking of the top 100 Premier League transfers of all time, and the transfer of Frank Lampard that saw him move from West Ham to Chelsea in 2001 is ranked as second.
Also, two other Chelsea signings make the top 10 Premier League transfers. Eden Hazard, whose £32m move from Lille to Chelsea in 2012 was ranked fifth, and Didier Drogba’s £24m move to Chelsea in 2004 was ranked 10th.
The ranking looked at every permanent transfer made by a Premier League team since 1992 and graded it on the player’s productivity and longevity, his legacy with the club, the titles he played a role in winning, how much the transfer cost, and whether the player was sold for a significant profit.
“Lampard had the most complete career with his new club of any of the transfers on this list,” stated the report.
OYOGist.com reports
OYOGist.com reports
“There aren’t any holes on his resume. Lampard spent 13 years at Chelsea and won every single competition he would have wanted to win, including the Champions League and Europa League in back-to-back seasons, three Premier League trophies and four FA Cups.
“The only other player to rank in the top 10 in both career goals and assists in the division is Wayne Rooney. The only outfield player to spend more time on the field in the Premier League than Lampard is Gareth Barry.”
Meanwhile, Thierry Henry’s move from Juventus to Arsenal topped the ranking. A total of 13 Chelsea transfers featured in the top 100 including Gianfranco Zola from Parma (19), Petr Cech from Rennes (24), Ashley Cole from Arsenal (30), Claude Makelele from Real Madrid (37) and Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid (41).
