Top 3 Free Transfers Who Shined Like A Gold For Chelsea: A German Powerhouse Tops The List

Radamel Falcao didn’t really set the world on fire with his performances for Chelsea but one thing can be forgiven, he technically was a free agent, well he was on loan so it doesn’t really count. Getting a free agent to do well for a team is not easy as many want to sign the player and the Premier League would be the last place where you expect a top club like Chelsea to pay nothing for a player.

The Blues though didn’t always have the mega bucks that Roman provides them now and have done alright in the transfer market. We look back at some of the best free transfers Chelsea have pulled off in Premier League history.

3. Didier Drogba

This isn’t about the first time Drogba came to England from Marseille but his second stint at the club. Drogba re-joined his beloved Chelsea in 2014 as a free agent from Galatasaray, he stated that he couldn’t give up the chance to work with Jose Mourinho again and knew his role in the team; he wasn’t going to be the number one choice.

Drogba though gave it his all and scored seven goals in 40 appearances for the Blues but had a great impact off the bench. The Ivorian won the League Cup and the Premier League in that season before he left the club to play for the Montreal Impact in the MLS.

2. Mario Melchiot

The Dutch footballer was one of the best right-backs during his time at Chelsea. Melchiot would bomb up and down the right side of the team and had moved to Chelsea on a free transfer from Dutch giants Ajax.

Melchiot stayed at Chelsea from 1999 to 2004 before moving to Birmingham City for a couple of years. The Dutch defender also played for Wigan but had his best stint with Chelsea as he won the FA Cup and a Charity Shield in his time at London.

1. Michael Ballack

The German was a powerhouse and instead of staying in the Bundesliga he moved from Bayern Munich to Chelsea on a free transfer in 2006. He probably couldn’t go back to Leverkusen and decided to join the next big thing, Chelsea.

Ballack took a bit of time to get used to the English game but once he got into the groove there probably wasn’t a better central midfielder in England at the time. Ballack played 166 games and scored 25 goals for the Blues and won a Premier League and three FA Cups, not a bad return for a free transfer.