Thomas Tuchel’s tenure at Chelsea was marked by a series of high-profile signings, but few of them have lived up to expectations. As the German manager prepares to leave Bayern Munich, attention turns to his transfer record at Chelsea, which has been criticized by many. Here, we examine Tuchel’s top 6 signings at Chelsea and assess their impact, according to Sport Brief.
1. Romelu Lukaku (£97.5m)
Tuchel’s first major signing was the Belgian striker, re-signed from Inter Milan. However, Lukaku’s second stint at Chelsea was a disaster, with the player falling out with Tuchel and eventually being loaned out to Inter and AS Roma.
1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Deadline Day signing)
Aubameyang was signed on Tuchel’s recommendation, but the Gabonese striker played only 59 minutes before Tuchel was sacked. He failed to impress under Graham Potter and was eventually sold.
2. Wesley Fofana (£70m)
The French defender was signed from Leicester City, but injuries have limited his impact. Fofana has missed 77 games due to injury and will play no part in the remaining four games this season.
3. Raheem Sterling (£47m)
Sterling was signed from Manchester City, but the English winger has struggled to replicate his form at Chelsea. He was expected to be a leader, but has fallen short, and the club is reportedly trying to move him on this summer.
4. Kalidou Koulibaly (£33m)
The experienced defender was signed in the summer of 2022, but struggled to settle in London. He was eventually sold to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
5. Marc Cucurella (£63m)
The Spanish full-back was part of Tuchel’s summer spending spree in 2022. While he struggled in his first season, Cucurella is gradually rediscovering himself in the final weeks of the current season.