The Blues have suffered their fair share of disappointment in the market over the years - but have also hijacked a couple of deals themselves

Chelsea have endured a frustrating 2022 summer transfer window so far, with Sevilla defender Jules Kounde the latest high-profile player to slip from their grasp.

GOAL reported that Kounde had been a priority target for Chelsea as Thomas Tuchel aims to reinforce his back-line following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, but he has ultimately chosen to head to Camp Nou instead of Stamford Bridge.

The west London outfit are not used to rejection, but there have been a few other occasions when they've missed out on top talent after coming so close to finalising a transfer. On the flip side, Chelsea have also pulled off the trick of hijacking a deal or two themselves.

GOAL is here to provide you with a run-down of their complicated transfer history.

Arjen Robben (PSV to Chelsea)
Back in the summer of 2004, a 20-year-old Arjen Robben was one of the hottest properties in European football after a bright start to his career at PSV.

Manchester United moved quickest for the Dutchman, and he was due to sign for the club after visiting their training ground, but Chelsea swooped in at the last minute to gazump their rivals.

The Blues saw a £12 million bid for Robben accepted, over double the fee United had offered, and he was then integrated into Jose Mourinho's ranks. The winger played a key role in Chelsea's title 2004-05 and 2005-06 title triumphs before leaving for Real Madrid in 2007.

John Obi Mikel (Lyn to Chelsea)
Chelsea actually pulled off one of the most famous transfer heists of all time back when they snapped up Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel from Norwegian outfit Lyn Oslo.

Manchester United had announced Mikel as a new official signing in April 2005 and he was even presented to the media at a press conference, only for the Blues to claim that they had already reached an agreement with Mikel's agent.

A long-winded legal battle ensued, and some 14 months later Mikel was unveiled at Chelsea, where he went on to win two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Willian (Anzhi Makhachkala to Chelsea)
Chelsea beat another Premier League rival to a top signing in 2013 as they managed to tie up a deal for Anzhi Makhachkala midfielder Willian.

The Brazilian initially completed a medical at Tottenham ahead of a reported £30 million ($37m) move, but Abramovich personally intervened to convince the player to head to west London instead of the north.

Willian signed a five-year contract at Chelsea, and ended up staying through to 2020 after establishing himself as a key member of the first-team squad, with a total of five trophies collected during his time at Stamford Bridge.


Raphinha (Leeds to Barcelona)
Fast forward to the current transfer window and Chelsea's luck in the transfer market has changed rather drastically for the worse.

The Blues set their sights on Leeds United winger Raphinha following another impressive individual campaign for the Brazilian winger in 2020-21, and GOAL confirmed that they were willing to pay up to £55m ($67m) for his services.

Leeds officials were initially eager to accept, but Raphinha had previously agreed to personal terms with Barcelona and always had his heart set on a move to Camp Nou.

Chelsea turned their attention to finalising a deal for Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling instead as Barca went on to confirm the signing of Raphinha on July 15.


Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus to Bayern Munich)
Chelsea registered their interest in Matthijs de Ligt after it became apparent that he was seeking a way out of Juventus - where he struggled to live up to expectations following a big-money move from Ajax in 2019.

The Blues were also ready to fork out a sizeable fee for the Netherlands international, but ended up dropping out of the race when it became clear that he preferred a move to Bayern Munich.

The German champions officially landed De Ligt in a €77 (£64m/$77m) deal on July 19, with Chelsea forced to go back to the drawing board with regards to defensive targets.

Jules Kounde (Sevilla to Barcelona)
Chelsea focused much their efforts on Kounde after missing out on De Ligt. The Frenchman came close to joining the Blues in prior windows and the club maintained contact with Sevilla thereafter in the hope of reaching an agreement this summer.

The Premier League giants offered £55m ($67m) for Kounde, who even lined up Romelu Lukaku's old house to live in following the striker's return to Inter on loan, but Barca ultimately broke their hearts once again.

After missing out on another key target Tuchel is running out of time to complete his squad ahead of the new season, but will hope for a change in fortune with plenty more suitable options still on the market.