Where are Thomas Tuchel's last eight Chelsea signings? | OneFootball

Chelsea fans will always hold a special place in their hearts for manager Thomas Tuchel, as the German coach helped deliver the club's second-ever Champions League trophy in 2021.

However, following that magical night in Porto against Manchester City, Tuchel's fortunes at Stamford Bridge started to go downhill. The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain manager endured a tough 2021/22 campaign, while also being in charge for the change of ownership later that season.

Tuchel was tasked with marshaling the Chelsea players while Roman Abramovich was ousted as Blues custodian, all before bridging the gap between the old and new eras following Todd Boehly's arrival as owner in the summer of 2022. Ultimately, a patchy relationship with the American businessman would lead to Tuchel being sacked in September 2022, but not before he'd presided over several big-money transfers.

In recognition of that, GIVEMESPORT have taken a look at the final eight signings, who were initially purchased for the senior side, of Tuchel's Chelsea tenure.

The only player Chelsea spent money on during the 21/22 transfer window, the return of Romelu Lukaku to Stamford Bridge was billed as the final piece in the jigsaw for the capital club.

At this point, Chelsea were fresh off their Champions League triumph, with the newly crowned European champions splashing a whopping £97.5 million on the Belgian international's signature.

It's safe to say what followed was an unmitigated disaster, with Lukaku netting just eight goals in 26 Premier League outings, before being shipped back to Inter Milan on loan the following campaign.

The former Everton and Manchester United star would help fire Inter to the Champions League final, but they weren't willing to take him back for another season, with Lukaku having joined up with ex-Chelsea boss at Roma for the 2023/24 campaign instead.

7 Saul Niguez

Joining on deadline day of the 2021 summer transfer window, Saul Niguez's move to Stamford Bridge looked like it was a transfer window masterstroke played by Tuchel, but instead it turned out to be nothing but a major flop.

Paying Atletico Madrid a loan fee in the region of £3.4 million for the one season he was at the club, Chelsea did have the option to make the move permanent for around £30 million at the end of the campaign.

Unsurprisingly, that clause wasn't triggered, as Niguez failed to make an impression during the 23 appearances he made for the club. He did however get to lift the Club World Cup while at Chelsea - something he certainly wouldn't have managed had he stayed at Atletico.

A return to the Spanish capital followed, with the midfielder having since regained a crucial spot in Diego Simeone's side.

6 Raheem Sterling

Hopping over to the 2022 summer transfer window now and into the Boehly and Co. era of heavy spending at the Bridge, Raheem Sterling was the first purchase made by Clearlake Capital back in July of that year.

Leaving Man City after a profitable seven-year stint, the winger linked up with Tuchel at Chelsea, with the west Londoners sanctioning a £47.5 million move.

Tuchel himself dubbed Sterling the club's 'number one priority' that summer, with Sterling moving to the club in search of a regular starting spot.

That he would get, but it hasn't always been to the liking of the Chelsea faithful, as Sterling's performances have been tinged by spells of inconsistency ever since.

5 Kalidou Koulibaly

Another big-money arrival from that summer, Kalidou Koulibaly had flirted with a move to the Premier League for some time, with Chelsea praised for being the club to land the highly-thought-of Senegal international.

It came at a cost though, with Napoli banking a healthy £33 million for his services - something the Italian club would use to reinvest into their squad, before going on to top the Serie A table at the end of the season.

There would be no such joy for Koulibaly at Chelsea, as it quickly became clear the defender was somewhat past his best, and the £33 million deal was probably a mistake.

The Blues would recoup some of their investment the following transfer window, with Koulibaly securing a Saudi Arabia switch, joining Al-Hilal for a reported fee of £20 million.

4 Carney Chukwuemeka

A transfer which did manage to capture the imagination of the Chelsea fans when it happened, the Blues beat off a number of challengers to land promising youngster Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa.

Paying the West Midlands outfit £20 million to take him off their hands, the teenager had featured 12 times in the Premier League for Aston Villa the season prior.

Minutes would prove hard to come by for Chukwuemeka during his maiden Chelsea campaign, with the Austrian-born starlet featuring just 15 times across all competitions.

With time on his side though, there is hope that Chukwuemeka will prove one of the more useful signings made by Tuchel during his time as Chelsea boss.

3 Marc Cucurella

One of the transfer sagas of the 2022/23 summer window, it had looked for all the money in the world that Marc Cucurella would end up signing for Man City, only for Chelsea to swoop in at the last minute and hijack the deal.

The Brighton & Hove Albion Player of the Year was subject to a number of bids from Pep Guardiola's side, but they fell short of the valuation being demanded by the south coast club.

In the end, Chelsea offered Brighton a fee in excess of £60 million to sign Cucurella, which, of course, they were happy to accept.

While it was a rocky start to life as a Chelsea player for Cucurella, the left-back has impressed ever since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino and it looks like he could prove somewhat of a worthwhile signing.

2 Wesley Fofana

The most expensive Chelsea purchase from the 2022 summer transfer window, Wesley Fofana arrived at Stamford Bridge from Leicester City for an eye-watering £75 million.

While the now 22-year-old is still considered one of the most promising defenders in world football, it's been difficult to judge Fofana's impact at Stamford Bridge, such has been his luck with injuries.

Missing a large chunk of the 2022/23 season with a knee injury, Fofana would be rocked once again during 2023/24 pre-season, when the Frenchman suffered a crushing anterior cruciate ligament injury.

It will keep him out for the majority of the current campaign, with Fofana likely having to wait until 2024/25 to get his Chelsea career back on track.

And finally then, the last, but possibly the most peculiar signing of the Tuchel era: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Joining on deadline day in the summer of 2022, it was clear Aubameyang was a signing specifically for Tuchel, given the pair had enjoyed success with each other while at Borussia Dortmund.

Joining for £10 million from Barcelona, the ex-Arsenal star the striker was brought in to bolster Chelsea's attack, following the departure of earlier Tuchel signing Lukaku.

However, just eight days after signing on the dotted line at Chelsea, Aubameyang would be left out in the cold, as Tuchel was sacked as Chelsea manager.

Not fancied by either Graham Potter or Frank Lampard, the Gabon international notched up just 21 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions during his only season with the club, and can now be found in Ligue 1 playing for French giant Olympique de Marseille.