Juan Cuadrado's failed spell at Chelsea is about to come to an end... but where does he feature in list of Blues flops during the Roman Abramovich era?

Juan Cuadrado’s departure from Chelsea for Juventus brings to end a short, unspectacular stay at Stamford Bridge. 
The Colombian winger made just four Chelsea starts and 13 Premier League appearances in total after his £24m move from Fiorentina in February, putting him in contention to be one of the biggest transfer flops at Chelsea in the Roman Abramovich era. The list of candidates for that dubious accolade is substantial, however. 
Here Nick Harris sifts through the debris to find the most dreadful dozen deals in that bracket. 
Forward Juan Cuadrado was mobbed by Juventus fans on his arrival at Malpensa Airport in northern Italy 
Forward Juan Cuadrado was mobbed by Juventus fans on his arrival at Malpensa Airport in northern Italy 
Cuadrado did not enjoy the best of times at west London outfit Chelsea following his move from Fiorentina
Cuadrado did not enjoy the best of times at west London outfit Chelsea following his move from Fiorentina
Try as they might, quite a number of contenders have not made the final cut, either because they were free and therefore not overly risky, or they simply weren’t terrible enough. Just. 
The likes of Alexei Smertin, Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim, Claudio Pizarro and Yossi Benayoun are among the motley crew who fell into this category. The dozen who made it are, in reverse order: 
Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro failed to light up Stamford Bridge after arriving in west London on frees
Pizarro arrived with a good reputation from Bayern Munich but failed to impress
Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro failed to light up Stamford Bridge after arriving in west London on frees
12. Slobodan Rajkovic - £3.8m
The teenaged Serbian centre-half was aged just 16 when Jose Mourinho agreed to pay more than 5 million euros (then £3.8m) for him from OFK Belgrade in 2005, letting them keep him until 2007.
Bureaucratic incompetence meant Chelsea never acquired a work permit for him so he never played a competitive minute, going on a series of loans before begging to be released in 2011.
Slobodan Rajkovic was just 16 when Jose Mourinho agreed to pay £3.8million for his services in 2005
Slobodan Rajkovic was just 16 when Jose Mourinho agreed to pay £3.8million for his services in 2005
11 Jiri Jarosik - £3m
Not particularly expensive and not particularly bad but definitely up there in the ‘meh’ category.

Mourinho spent £3m to get him from CSKA Moscow, used him during the season run-in and then bought a much better player (Essien) to use instead, shipping Jarosik on loan to Birmingham before flogging him at a loss to Celtic. 
Jiri Jarosik was not particularly bad but went under the radar before moving to Birmingham on loan
Jiri Jarosik was not particularly bad but went under the radar before moving to Birmingham on loan
10 Mateja Kezman - £5.5m
It’s the unremarkable returns that he delivered when set against the stellar expectations that get Kezman onto this list. 
His price tag of around £5.5m wasn’t especially onerous, even in 2004, but he arrived with a Dutch Footballer of the Year award, not to mention 105 league goals in 122 games for PSV. Then he scored four goals and left.
Mateja Kezman arrived at Chelsea with 105 goals in 122 games for PSV but managed just four for the Blues
Mateja Kezman arrived at Chelsea with 105 goals in 122 games for PSV but managed just four for the Blues
9 Asier del Horno - £8m
The Spanish defender made 25 league appearances in his one season at Stamford Bridge and helped them win the title in 2005-06. 
So his £8m fee isn’t the worst cash Chelsea ever spent. But he’ll be remembered for getting red-carded against Barcelona for a challenge on Lionel Messi in an aggregate defeat. And being shown the door thereafter.
Asier del Horno won the Premier League title in his one season with Chelsea before being sold to Valencia
Asier del Horno won the Premier League title in his one season with Chelsea before being sold to Valencia
 8 Khalid Boulahrouz - £9m
The £9m he cost on the back of a decent reputation at Hamburg wasn’t small change, especially for a player primarily hired as a back-up. 

But after a decent start, injuries to his knee and shoulder contributed to him dropping out of favour and 13 league games in two years, albeit with a year of that on loan at Sevilla, offered a poor return.
Khalid Boulahrouz's Chelsea career was hindered by knee and shoulder injuries and he let the club in 2008
Khalid Boulahrouz's Chelsea career was hindered by knee and shoulder injuries and he let the club in 2008
 7 Fernando Torres - £50m
The £50m price tag hung around his neck like an anvil. Aside from Angel di Maria at Manchester United, he remains the most expensive player ever bought by an English club. In his defence, he helped Chelsea win the FA Cup and two European trophies. But 20 league goals in four years for a megabucks star striker is not the stuff of dreams. 
Fernando Torres arrived at Chelsea from Liverpool for £50million and the huge price tag weighed down heavy
The Spain striker was guilty of missing a number of clear chances at Stamford Bridge
Fernando Torres arrived at Chelsea from Liverpool for £50million and the huge price tag weighed down heavy


 6 Yuri Zhirkov - £18m
Zhirkov takes us well into the territory of players whose transfer fees alone worked out at more than half a millions pounds per league appearance (£620,000 in his case), before hefty salary was added. Never clear who wanted him at the Bridge but certainly fellow Russian Abramovich had to sign the cheque. 
Yuri Zhirkov proved a very costly purchase - each league appearance cost more than half a million pounds
Yuri Zhirkov proved a very costly purchase - each league appearance cost more than half a million pounds
 5 Andriy Shevchenko - £30m
Now this definitely WAS a case of the Chelsea owner deciding that he wanted a particular player and was willing to spend a massive sum to get him, despite him being nearly 30 and costing £30m. 
Jose Mourinho didn’t want him, and though the Portuguese manager was gone before the player, Shevchenko’s nine goals in three years on a massive salary was a woeful return.
Abramovich was determined to sign Andriy Shevchenko despite the fact the striker was soon approaching 30
Abramovich was determined to sign Andriy Shevchenko despite the fact the striker was soon approaching 30
 4 Marko Marin - £7m
Six league appearances in three years after a £7m move in the summer of 2012 pretty much tell the story. 
Aged 23 on signing from Werder Bremen, he was never in the ‘young kid we’ll wait to mature’ category. Rather he didn’t cut the mustard, spent 2013-14 on loan at Sevilla, then last season at Fiorentina. 
Cost more than £1m per Chelsea league game.
Marko Marin has made just 15 appearances since signing in 2012 and has been loaned out three times
Marko Marin has made just 15 appearances since signing in 2012 and has been loaned out three times
 3 Adrian Mutu - £15.8m
And so to the podium places of pitiful value. Mutu was among the first of the star names through the door when Abramovich bought Chelsea, and they paid an oligarch’s premium price of £15.8m to get him from Parma. 
Four goals in his first three games gave him a stunning start. A rapid tail off in form, a fallout with incomer Jose Mourinho, a cocaine habit, a drugs ban and a breach of contract dispute turned his time in London into a nightmare. For all.
Adrian Mutu got off to  a stunning start scoring four in three games but then suffered anightmare spelluffered from 
Adrian Mutu got off to  a stunning start scoring four in three games but then suffered anightmare spelluffered from 
 2 Juan Cuadrado - £25m
The video clips circulating on social media of his frenzied arrival in Italy suggest Juventus are about to unveil a messiah. 
Some Chelsea fans might be forgiven for not being especially familiar with what he can do in England, so fleeting were most of his appearances since arriving this year - for £25m. That’s almost £2m per game, most of them as a sub.
Cuadrado spent just six months at Stamford Bridge and failed to make any real impact on the Premier League
Cuadrado spent just six months at Stamford Bridge and failed to make any real impact on the Premier League
 1 Juan Veron - £15m
Another of the early buys when Abramovich gave Claudio Ranieri the green light to spent more than £100m in the Russian owner’s first summer at Chelsea. 
Veron was capable of brilliance, but he rarely showed it in England and Chelsea were even less successful than Manchester United at getting the best from him. 
Seven league games in four years (albeit years including loan spells elsewhere) for £15m makes him the worst pound for pound purchase in the Roman Abramovich era.
Juan Sebastian Veron takes top spot in Sportsmail's rundown of Chelsea flops in the Abramovich era
Juan Sebastian Veron takes top spot in Sportsmail's rundown of Chelsea flops in the Abramovich era

CHELSEA'S DREADFUL DOZEN: THE BIGGEST FLOPS OF ABRAMOVICH ERA?

*The cost does not take into account wages*
*The cost does not take into account wages*

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