Chelsea's erratic dealings in the transfer window under Todd Boehly in recent times were always going to be a risky and bold strategy to return to the fight for a Premier League title.
Whilst there's no denying players such as Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo were good investments despite their respective £40m and £115m moves to Stamford Bridge, many of the new additions have failed to make any positive impact during their time at the club.
One that springs to mind is £89m signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who's only managed to find the net on six occasions during his 53 games for the Blues since his move last January.
He's yet to find his feet in the Premier League, often lacking confidence and that final product – something you'd expect in a player who costs an obscene amount of money like the Ukrainian.
However, despite his failings at Stamford Bridge, the club also wasted a lot of money on one other talent, with the player currently spending the campaign away from Mauricio Pochettino's side.
Kepa Arrizabalaga's stats at Chelsea
After joining the club for a reported £71.6m from Athletic Bilbao during the summer of 2018, Kepa Arrizabalaga, who cost a world-record sum for a goalkeeper, had high expectations of being the Blues' long-term replacement for Thibaut Courtois after the Belgian had departed for Real Madrid.
However, the move would be a disaster, with the Spaniard looking shaky despite his big-money move to Stamford Bridge.
Moises Caicedo
£115m
Enzo Fernandez
£107m
Romelu Lukaku
£97m
Wesley Fofana
£75m
Kepa Arrizabalaga
£73.6m
He would appear 36 times in his first Premier League campaign for the club, keeping 14 clean sheets – a respectable tally, but one that would rapidly decline during his time in London.
The former Bilbao man also caused controversy during the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, refusing to be substituted by boss Maurizio Sarri ahead of the penalty shootout – with Kepa unable to prevent the Blues from falling to a defeat.
However, the signing of Edouard Mendy saw the Spaniard drop to second-choice for the 2020/21 season, only featuring 14 times throughout the campaign, including a substitute appearance against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
He was brought on at the end of extra time for the penalty shootout, failing to save any, before missing the final spot kick, handing Jürgen Klopp's side the trophy.
In total, he's made 163 appearances for the club since his arrival in 2018, before joining Real Madrid on loan last summer for the 2023/24 campaign – where he's made 18 appearances to date.
Kepa Arrizabalaga's wage at Chelsea
During his time at the club, the 29-year-old has pocketed £38.8m in wages, as per Salary Sport, taking the club's total spend on the goalkeeper to £110.4m in just under six years – an extortionate amount given his lack of impact at Stamford Bridge.
Kepa, who's been described as potentially the club's "worst signing" by talkSPORT's Rory Jennings, simply hasn't looked up to scratch throughout his time in west London.
With his deal at the club set to expire next summer, Boehly and co need to shift him off the books as soon as possible – reports earlier this season suggesting that the Blues are ready to take a £50m loss on the player, with a £21m fee suggested.
The huge figure for his wages is a real concern, especially given the club's recent losses. Although a potential sale of Kepa wouldn't immediately solve the club's woes, it would go a long way to ensure Pochettino's side stay within the permitted year losses of FFP.
Chelsea set to strike gold by selling "special" star for 31,478% profit
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ByJoe NuttallApr 26, 2024
