Chelsea have not been afraid to make a signing or two since the takeover of Todd Boehly in May 2022, as they have splashed the cash on a host of new additions.
The new Blues owner has spent over £1bn on transfers as they aim to close the gap to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to fight for a first Premier League title since the 2016/2017 season.
Players such as Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo have both joined the Blues for fees, breaking the English transfer record – with the latter joining for £115m from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2023.
It would be harsh to question Boehly's ambition with his spending since the takeover. However, one thing that can be questioned is the erratic nature of the spending – with many players failing to match up with the hefty fees spent on them.
Mykhalio Mudryk and Roméo Lavia both joined the club for fees combining nearly £150m, with the pair unable to yet to properly showcase their talent with limited minutes and injuries affecting their start to life at Stamford Bridge.
Despite Mudryk and Lavia's unsuccessful time at the club so far, another player has failed to live up to expectations after his big-money move to Stamford Bridge back in 2022.
Wesley Fofana's record at Chelsea
During his nearly two-year stint at Stamford Bridge, 23-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana has only made 20 appearances for the club, after multiple injury struggles.
He made his debut in the 2-1 win against West Ham United back in September 2022, before suffering a knee injury in his second outing against Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman was out until February, with Fofana making his return during the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton. He enjoyed a good run in the Blues side before the end of the 2022/23 campaign, before another injury setback during pre-season back in August.
He didn't travel with the squad for the pre-season tour in the USA, as he underwent surgery on his ruptured ACL.
Fofana hasn't featured at all this campaign, with the defender still recovering from his latest injury setback. Boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that the 23-year-old won't feature between now and the end of the season, with the former Leicester City defender working to return ahead of the start of the 2024/25 season in August.
How much Wesley Fofana has cost Chelsea
The club brought Fofana from Leicester for a fee in the region of £75m back in August 2022 – with Fofana penning a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
23-year-old Fofana currently earns £200k-per-week – a figure that is £25k-per-week more than Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer combined, with the defender the third-highest-paid player in the Chelsea squad and his wages contributing to a whopping 6.8% of the club's total wage bill.
Player
Weekly wage
#1 Raheem Sterling
£325k
#2 Reece James
£250k
#3 Wesley Fofana
£200k
#4 Ben Chilwell
£200k
#5 Christopher Nkunku
£195k
#6 Enzo Fernandez
£180k
Fofana's weekly wage of £200k-p/w, sees him take home £10.4m every season, with the Frenchman set to earn another £62.4m should he finish the remaining six years on his current deal, and that is £50k more per week than Caicedo (£150k-per-week) earns.
Although he joined the club with real potential, the centre-back, unfortunately, hasn't hit the levels expected due to injury, with the 23-year-old's market value taking a huge hit, with Fofana now only valued at £30m – a decrease of 60% on the figure the club paid for him less than two years ago.
Whilst you could argue that it is harsh to blame Chelsea for his injury issues, Fofana missed a staggering 72 matches through injury during his time with Leicester, which shows that the warning signs were there.
Therefore, Boehly and the Blues had a shocker with the signing of the injury-prone defender, who has been far from value for money – given that he earns £50k more per week than Caicedo, who has already played 34 games for the club – 14 more than Fofana in 12 fewer months.
