Chelsea FC’s Top 5 Black Friday Bargains
2) Gianfranco Zola – £4.5 million, 1996.
No Chelsea top five list would be complete without the inclusion of Gianfranco Zola. Widely regarded as Chelsea’s best ever player, he was signed from Parma for £4.5 million in 1996. A player of his stature would easily go for 10 times what the club paid for him in today’s economy.
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The little Italian, who stands at just 5ft 6in, scored a number of memorable goals for the club, including a brilliant backheel volley against Norwich City in 2002, which led to manager Claudio Ranieri describing him as a wizard.
Despite this praise, Zola was being edged out of the team, as his manager attempted to lower the average age of his squad, preferring young striker Eidur Gudjohnsen (fourth place on this list) to partner Hasselbaink.
He was voted by fans as Chelsea’s best ever player in 2003, but it was clear his time at the club was coming to an end. In his final season with Chelsea, Zola enjoyed a renaissance, scoring 16 goals, his highest seasonal tally for Chelsea, which included his final goal, a brilliant lobbed effort from outside the box against Everton.
Zola played 312 times for the Blues, before returning to Italy in 2003. His famous number 25 shirt is on display in the club museum, where it remains unofficially retired to this day.
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