Chelsea's five most expensive January transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• 9 Jan 2025 14:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea have established themselves as one of Europe’s biggest spenders during the 21st century and while the bulk of their business typically takes place during the summer, they haven’t been shy in spending huge sums in January.

The Blues have frequently dipped into the mid-season window in order to purchase reinforcements and they have often been forced to pay a substantial amount of money in order to achieve this.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through Chelsea’s five most expensive January transfers of all time.

READ MORE: Chelsea's 10 most expensive transfers of all time

5. Benoit Badiashile - €38m (from Monaco, 2023)

Chelsea spent big during the 2023 January transfer window, with Benoit Badiashile one of their priciest arrivals.

The Blues had lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers just six months prior, and Badiashile was purchased from AS Monaco amid Kalidou Koulibaly’s struggles at Stamford Bridge.

The defender left Monaco having racked up 135 senior appearances for the club and he became the third-most expensive Frenchman to ever join Chelsea at the time.

READ MORE: Chelsea's 10 biggest sales of all time

4. Fernando Torres - €58.5m (from Liverpool, 2011)

Fernando Torres was previously the priciest January signing in Chelsea’s history, while he also held the Premier League transfer record for three-and-a-half years.

Despite his injury problems during the final year of his time at Liverpool, Chelsea were determined to sign Torres and they completed a €58.5m deal on Transfer Deadline Day in January 2011.

Torres endured a tricky time at Stamford Bridge, netting just 45 goals in 172 appearances for the club before leaving in 2015. He did, however, score one of the most memorable goals in Chelsea’s history against Barcelona to secure their place in the 2012 Champions League final.

3. Christian Pulisic - €64m (from Borussia Dortmund, 2019)

Christian Pulisic initially joined Chelsea in January 2019, but he was immediately loaned back to Borussia Dortmund before returning to Stamford Bridge several months later.

The American was seen as Eden Hazard's replacement when he joined the Blues for €64m and he enjoyed a sublime debut campaign in west London.

However, injury problems soon began racking up and he left the club to join AC Milan in 2023. Pulisic departed Chelsea with 26 goals in 145 appearances.

2. Mykhailo Mudryk - €70m (from Shakhtar Donetsk, 2023)

Mykhailo Mudryk was expected to join Arsenal in January 2023, however Chelsea hijacked the deal and signed the Ukraine winger for an initial €70m.

He left Shakhtar Donetsk having made just 44 senior appearances for the club, with Chelsea keen to pounce amid his burgeoning reputation in Europe.

However, Mudryk endured a difficult time adapting to life in the Premier League and he failed to score his first Chelsea goal until October 2023.

1. Enzo Fernandez - €121m (from Benfica, 2023)

Enzo Fernandez is Chelsea’s most expensive January signing of all time and he also tops the list of the biggest transfers in Premier League history.

He spent just six months at Benfica, following his arrival from River Plate, with Chelsea opting to pay €121m to sign him in January 2023 after a string of immense performances at the Qatar World Cup.

Fernandez left Benfica with only 29 games for the club under his belt, with Chelsea winning the race for his signature amid competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Chelsea’s five most expensive January signings of all time