Chelsea's Most Iconic Signings and Their Impact on Team Performance and Betting Odds

FT Desk

• Updated: 5 Feb 2025 12:34 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea has had some of the most iconic signings in football history. From transformative acquisitions in the early 2000s to more recent big-money moves. So let’s take a closer look at some of the most iconic signings over the years.

Chelsea Football Club is one of the most successful English football clubs from around the world. The club has been known for its strong squad and incredible performance. This has not only had an impact on the club but on the world of sports betting too.

N'Golo Kanté (2016)

N’Golo Kanté joined Chelsea from Leicester City in 2016. The reported fee for his arrival was £32 million. His presence in midfield provided the defensive stability needed for the team to flourish. His performance for Leicester City meant he was highly anticipated when moving over to Chelsea. This meant his arrival would've increased the betting odds for Chelsea. His arrival solidified Chelsea as one of the strongest teams in the Premier League. Especially as he was known for his ability to control games and disrupt opposition attacks. This made Chelsea a much harder team to beat. Betting markets responded to this and increased the odds for Chelsea overall.

Eden Hazard (2012)

Back in 2012, Chelsea secured Belgian winger Eden Hazard from Lille. This reportedly cost the club £32 million. The player very quickly became an important part of Chelsea's attack and played for the club for nearly a decade. His performance played a huge role in both of Chelsea's Premier League wins in 2015 and 2017. He was also a part of their UEFA Europa League triumphs in 2013 and 2019.

Hazards signing created a huge buzz in the industry. Especially as the amount was a very large sum for that time. This arrival boosted Chelsea's odds in both the Premier League and European competitions. His arrival and consistency while at Chelsea meant that the club's odds remained high.

Didier Drogba (2004)

This is a huge signing in Chelsea's history. Drogba is a player from Côte d'Ivoire and arrived at Stamford Bridge from Marseille. It was reported that this cost the club £24 million. Which is a huge amount of money, especially during that time. Drogba very quickly had an impact on the team as a striker. Many believe that he was a huge reason for the club’s rise to prominence in English football.

His incredible ability had an impact on the whole team’s performance. He didn't just bring his physicality, strength and goal-scoring ability to the team. He also had incredible leadership skills both on and off the pitch. This led to incredible wins including multiple Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.

His arrival to Chelsea brought a lot of buzz. One area it had a huge impact on was betting odds. Mostly in the Premier League and European markets. Drogba joining Chelsea helped to solidify Chelsea being a top contender. Chelsea became a favorite to win both domestic and European trophies. Being a favorite means that betting on Chelsea comes with much higher odds because they are likely to win.

Frank Lampard (2001)

Back in 2001, Frank Lampard was signed to Chelsea from West Ham United. This signing cost £11 million. Lampard had a huge impact on Chelsea. He became an all-time top scorer and one of the most influential midfielders in Premier League history. He played a huge role in Chelsea’s success in both the 2000s and 2010s. He’s known for his incredible passing range and being able to score goals from midfield. During his time playing for Chelsea, he contributed towards multiple Premier League titles.

With such a big singing, Lampard’s arrival at Chelsea would’ve enhanced the club’s betting odds. Especially when it came to the Premier League. His reputation for being a goal-scoring midfielder would’ve also increased the popularity of prop bets. Particularly the bets that surrounded scoring.

John Terry (1998)

John Terry was promoted from Chelsea youth ranks. However, his eventual signing ended up having a huge impact on the club. He is now one of the most iconic figures in the club’s history. Terry made his professional debut in 1998. It took a few years but by the early 2000s. He had fully established himself as the club’s defensive leader. During his time at Chelsea, Terry had a huge impact on the team’s performance. He captained the club and managed to secure multiple Premier League titles, FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012.

Terry had a quieter entrance to Chelsea. This means, in the beginning, he wouldn’t have had as much of an impact on betting odds. However as his career developed, he would’ve had an impact on odds more and more. He had a huge impact on Chelsea’s defensive strength. Especially when he was captaining the team. This made the team hard to beat and therefore made the odds of Chelsea winning quite high.

Chelsea remains to be a top club. If you explore the best sportsbooks online, you'll see the club still has considerably high odds. These signings have helped to shape the team's performance in the past couple of decades. This includes the world of sports betting too. These players have worked together over time to ensure that the Blues remain a top contender for trophies season after season.