Five players who moved from Leicester to Chelsea for big money | OneFootball

Chelsea have completed the signing of Kieran Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City with the midfielder having signed a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea capitalised on Leicester’s need to sell with a £30m approach for Dewsbury-Hall, who was an influential figure in the Foxes’ promotion to the Premier League last season.

Leicester have become accustomed to the big-spending Blues raiding the King Power Stadium for the club’s top talent with Dewsbury-Hall the fifth player to move directly from the Foxes to Chelsea for over £30m since 2016.

Here are five big-money signings Chelsea made from Leicester.

N’Golo Kante – £32m (2016)

N’Golo Kante arrived at Leicester from Caen as a relative unknown ahead of the 2015-16 season and departed a season later as a Premier League winner and £32m midfielder.

Kante was an unmissable presence as Leicester stunned football to win the Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri, with the Frenchman’s indefatigable performances at the forefront of the Foxes’ success. He was named Leicester’s Player of the Season following their shock title triumph before Chelsea secured his services in a big-money deal.

His debut season with the West Londoners ended with another title as Kante became the first player since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back-to-back English titles with different clubs. Recognised with the Premier League Player of the Season, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and FWA Footballer of the Year awards, he cemented a reputation as arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world at Chelsea.

Kante spent seven seasons at Chelsea and added the FA Cup, Europa League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to his trophy cabinet.

Danny Drinkwater – £35m (2017)

Chelsea spent £35m to reunite Kante with former Leicester teammate Danny Drinkwater a year later. The duo had formed an effective midfield partnership during Leicester’s title success but Drinkwater failed to make an impact in the capital.

The midfielder started just five league games during his debut season at Chelsea before unsuccessful loan spells at Burnley, Aston Villa, Turkish Süper Lig side Kasimpasa and Reading. He was released from his contract in June 2022 and retired from football in October 2023, aged just 33.

Ben Chilwell – £50m (2020)

Ben Chilwell became the latest Leicester name to join Chelsea in the 2020 summer transfer window.

The left-back came through the ranks at Leicester to become an England international and crossed to Chelsea in a £50m deal. He won the Champions League during an impressive debut season and later added the 2021 UEFA Super Cup.

However, his career with Chelsea has been blighted by consistent injury problems, with Chilwell starting just 30 league games across the last three seasons. He was not included in the England squad for Euro 2024 following an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign.

Wesley Fofana – £75m (2022)

Chelsea signed Wesley Fofana from Leicester in a deal that could reach £75m in 2022, with the centre-back signing a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

Fofana won Leicester City’s Young Player of the Season award in 2020-21 but missed much of the following season with a broken leg. Chelsea, however, placed faith in his potential with the transfer making Fofana the joint-second most expensive defender in Premier League history at that time.

However, bad luck has followed Fofana who has made just 15 league appearances across two seasons. The defender has suffered three separate knee issues at Chelsea, including an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) in 2023-24.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – £30m (2024)

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has crossed from Leicester to the capital this summer, joining Chelsea for a fee in the region of £30m. The 25-year-old was an influential figure during Leicester’s promotion to the Premier League last season, scoring 12 times and providing 14 assists in the Championship.

Enzo Maresca, who left Leicester to take charge at Chelsea this summer, was keen to reunite with the midfielder who will hope the transfer can boost his international ambitions. Leicester were reluctant to lose Dewsbury-Hall but Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) concerns led to the sale of the academy graduate.

Read – Euro 2024: Five players who impressed in the Round of 16

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