Ever since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003, there has been a fantasy-football feel to how the West Londoners have gone about signing new players for a wide range of different managers.
The reasoning behind different acquisitions has varied over the years, with Abramovich initially wanting to make his mark in the market before calmer heads and more astute planning came to the fore after the initial splurge on big-money names.
Over his 19-year stint at Stamford Bridge, there is an argument that the vast majority of transfers have paid off in some form or another, but there are still certain signings that will stand the test of time as Abramovich prepares to sell up.
With that in mind, Sports Mole names 10 players, in chronological order from when they arrived in West London, who we feel deserve to be regarded as the top 10 Chelsea signings of the Abramovich era
Of all the players that moved to Chelsea during that chaotic first summer, Claude Makelele's name stood out. The Frenchman, known for his ability to break up play in front of the defence, was regarded as a vital addition to complement the more glamorous signings which were made in other areas of the pitch.
Until Jose Mourinho's arrival a year later, things did not particularly work out, but the former Real Madrid man was a vital cog in the Portuguese's system throughout his reign. Other players were recognised for Chelsea breaking clean sheet records during that time, in particular 2004-05, but that would not have been achieved without Makelele's presence.
Makelele made 217 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, winning two Premier League titles and three cup competitions. Goals were not his forte, but one of the most memorable moments of that first campaign under Mourinho was Makelele being given a chance to take a penalty in the final home game against Charlton Athletic with the title having already been won.
The penalty, in the last minute, was abysmal, but with the ball arriving back in front of him, Makelele converted the rebound, sparking pandemonium among his teammates and the club's supporters alike.
When Petr Cech moved to the Blues in 2004, it felt somewhat of a risk given the other options that were available at the time. Cech was also just 22 years of age and relatively unproven on the big stage, but there can be no denying that the deal represents one of Chelsea's best pieces of business of all time.
For £7m, Chelsea got 492 appearances out of Cech, the most by an overseas player. The Czech Republic stopper kept clean sheets in 46% of those matches, and went 1024 minutes during the 2004-05 Premier League campaign without conceding a goal.
Cech contributed to 14 pieces of silverware during his time at Chelsea, most notably four Premier League titles and the Champions League triumph of 2012.
However, Cech should also be remembered for overcoming adversity having sustained a depressed skull fracture after a collision with Reading winger Stephen Hunt. Cech spent 10 days in hospital and three months on the sidelines before playing the rest of his career wearing a headguard.
Perhaps the greatest of them all is Didier Drogba. Upon his arrival, Mourinho insisted that Drogba was the centre forward that he craved, and his and Abramovich's faith was rewarded with an iconic career, scoring 164 goals from 381 appearances across two periods at the club.
The Ivorian will always be known as the player who scored the winning spot kick during the penalty shootout with Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final, but his legacy will stand the test of time through his leadership, character and mentality. As a target man, he had it all, and Chelsea can count themselves blessed to have had him in their squad for nine seasons.
As well as the collection of team trophies, Drogba picked up countless individual accolades, including two Premier League Golden Boots with the second seeing him score 29 times in 2009-10. However, he also netted a remarkable nine times in cup finals, the most notable being his header during the closing stages of the Champions League final that has already been mentioned.
However, Drogba also scored in four FA Cup finals between 2007 and 2012, his contribution being the decisive moment in showdowns with Manchester United, Portsmouth and Liverpool. Aside from Diego Costa shortly after his departure, there is an argument that he has never truly been replaced.
The likes of Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz and Gary Cahill could have easily been included over Ricardo Carvalho, but the Portuguese deserves to be remembered as the perfect foil for John Terry in the centre of Chelsea's defence.
While Terry was more dominant in the air, Carvalho complemented that work with his efforts on the ground, whether it be through dispossessing forwards, his speed or passing. Chelsea perhaps did not get everything they could out of the Portuguese, who only made more than 26 Premier League appearances in a season on one occasion, but he was instrumental during Mourinho's opening two years at the club.
As well as starring in the team which conceded just 15 times in the 2004-05 Premier League campaign, Carvalho won three top-flight titles and was awarded the club's Players' Player Of The Year in 2008. During his six years at Stamford Bridge, he made 210 appearances across all competitions.
Ashley Cole deserves to be in this list because he is England's best left-back of a generation. However, when you look deeper into his Chelsea stint, it is forgotten that he cost the Blues just £5m, who also allowed William Gallas to move in the opposite direction.
It is perhaps an exaggeration to describe it as one of the best value-for-money signings of all time, but Cole made 338 appearances during his eight-year stint, the 2012 Champions League triumph the most notable achievement of his nine pieces of silverware.
Cole was named Player's Player Of The Year on two occasions - in 2009 and 2011 respectively - and he was an ever-present during the second of those seasons.
Winning the Champions League in 2012 is what ultimately helped Chelsea win the race for Eden Hazard, a roaming playmaker who had netted 22 goals during the previous campaign at Lille. As a team, Chelsea did not always move to the next level with the Belgian in the team, but Hazard became the long-term creator in the final third that the Blues needed at the time.
In total, Hazard contributed 110 goals and 92 assists from his 352 appearances in all competitions, but his statistics only tell part of the story. During his seven-year spell in West London, Hazard was Chelsea's go-to man when they required something special, the attacker often producing game-changing moments to keep his team on track in whichever tournament they were competing in at the time.
Only winning six pieces of team silverware seems harsh on Hazard, but he can count two Premier League titles and two Europa League crowns on that list. Hazard also netted the only goal of the game as Chelsea defeated Manchester United in the 2018 FA Cup final.
Things have not worked out as well as they could have done at Real Madrid, but such is Hazard's status among the Chelsea fanbase that he would be welcomed back with open arms by most, even if he is seemingly past his peak.
When Chelsea signed Cesar Azpilicueta for a reported £7m in 2012, there was the expectation that they were getting a squad option for two or three years at most. Little did those associated with Chelsea realise that they had acquired the services of a player who would establish himself as a club legend.
Winning last month's Club World Cup meant that Chelsea have won it all with Azpilicueta in the squad, a rare feat in the modern-day era. In total, the versatile defender has made 461 appearances in all competitions, and there was a spell between August 2015 and the end of the 2019-20 campaign where he missed just four Premier League games.
If reports are to be believed, there is a realistic possibility of the 32-year-old ending his time at Stamford Bridge this summer with Barcelona waiting in the wings. However, the overwhelming feeling among the Chelsea fanbase would be one of appreciation if he left for pastures new, and it would perhaps be fitting if Azpilicueta bows out at the same time as Abramovich given their respective contributions.
N'Golo Kante was far from a certain pick for this list. There are reasons why the likes of Michael Essien and Ramires perhaps deserve the nod instead, but Kante is one of a kind, someone who has been described as the best midfielder in the world.
While injuries have held the World Cup winner back to a certain extent, he has still made 244 appearances for Chelsea since 2016, only missing the EFL Cup from his list of trophies. In terms of individual trophies, Kante swept the board during his first season at Stamford Bridge, the same year of his only Premier League title success.
Crucially, Chelsea kept Kante fit for last season's Champions League games. The Frenchman played some part of every fixture en route to the final, before being named Man Of The Match against Manchester City. Kante has not always been at his best this season, but his Chelsea legacy has already been cemented.
For those who question Chelsea's appointment of Frank Lampard in 2019, it is worth remembering that Thiago Silva would not have signed a year later had it not been for the presence of the Englishman. Given his veteran status, the transfer was questioned at the time, but the Brazilian has rolled back the years during his time with Chelsea.
Silva is now halfway towards his 38th birthday, but he remains one of the first names on Chelsea's team sheet. Motivated from the heartache of missing out on his first Champions League crown with Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, Silva made eight outings as Chelsea won the tournament the following year.
In total, Silva has made 65 appearances in all competitions, also recently adding the Club World Cup to his collection. Such is his status behind the scenes that he has already been handed a contract until June 2023, and Chelsea will only truly recognise the importance of Silva's presence when he hangs up his boots or returns to his homeland for one final hurrah, the void potentially being too big to fill.
When he arrived at Chelsea in September 2020, Edouard Mendy was a relative unknown and spending £22m was only justified because it meant finding a replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga. If it had not been for Cech's knowledge of his former club Rennes, this transfer would not have happened, but supporters should be forever thankful to Cech that it did.
Mendy kept nine clean sheets as Chelsea won the Champions League in his first season, equalling a competition record. His performances led to him being named as UEFA's and FIFA's best goalkeeper for 2021, and he is regarded in some quarters as the best goalkeeper in the world.
That is open for debate, but there is no doubting that Mendy has exceeded everyone's expectations, perhaps even those of Cech's.
