Chelsea made five big money signings from Leicester City

Chelsea have completed the signing of Kieran Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City, with the midfielder penning a long-term deal at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have capitalized on Leicester’s need to sell with a £30million 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 direct 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 left a season later as a Premier League winner and £32million midfielder.

Kante was an unmissable presence as Leicester stunned football to win the Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri, with tireless performances from the Frenchman spearheading 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.

🦊 Leicester ➡️ Chelsea 🔵

N’Golo Kante has arrived at @ChelseaFC #In this day in 2016… 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Gk88Qd7Twj

— Premier League (@premierleague) July 16, 2021

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. Recognized with Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards, he cemented his reputation as 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 team-mate Danny Drinkwater a year later. The duo 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.

Danny Drinkwater (€37.9m) – Leicester City to Chelsea (2017) pic.twitter.com/POPTsoeUto

— Transfershavepened (@actualtransfers) June 9, 2024

Ben Chilwell – £50m (2020)

Ben Chilwell has become 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 moved to Chelsea in a £50million deal. He won the Champions League during an impressive debut season and later added the 2021 UEFA Super Cup.

However, his Chelsea career has been marred by consistent injury problems, with Chilwell starting just 30 league games over the past three seasons. He was not included in England’s squad for Euro 2024 following a knock-on injury in the 2023-24 campaign.

Absolutely buzz to sign @ChelseaFC. Really exciting time for the club with such a good squad! I can’t wait to meet all the boys and everyone around the building. Special thanks to the manager for the trust he showed in me. A dream come true. Come on, blues 💙 pic.twitter.com/xpfIklsgzn

— Ben Chilwell (@BenChilwell) August 26, 2020

Wesley Fofana – £75m (2022)

Chelsea have signed Wesley Fofana from Leicester in a deal that could reach £75m in 2022, with the centre-back penning 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, put their faith in his potential, with the transfer making Fofana the second most expensive defender in Premier League history at the time.

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

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – £30m (2024)

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall moved 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 over at Chelsea this summer, was keen to reunite with the midfielder who will hope the move will boost his international ambitions. Leicester were reluctant to lose Dewsbury-Hall, but concerns over profitability and sustainability in the Premier League (PSR) led to the sale of the academy graduate.

Our latest summer signing: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/1OuST65GTv

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 2, 2024

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