Chelsea FC’s Top 30 Transfers Of All Time

26. Eddie McCreadie – Fee: £5,000

Eddie McCreadie finds his way onto this list because of the sheer value Chelsea FC received for such a small fee. McCreadie was signed from East Stirlingshire in 1962 for the agreed upon fee and the promise of home and away friendlies between the clubs. The first match was played but Stirlingshire has been asking for the return fixture at Stamford Bridge for half a century now.

Even in 1962, £5,000 was not a great deal of money to pay for a player and in today’s terms it is less than £100,000. McCreadie’s fee notwithstanding, the Scottish fullback became an excellent player for the Blues during the swashbuckling era of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. He played alongside legendary players like Ron Harris and Peter Osgood and stood on equal footing with them.

Making 331 appearances over 11 years, McCreadie only scored four goals but his finest moment came in League Cup Final in 1965 where he scored the winning goal. McCreadie also went on to manage the club for two seasons in the mid-70’s but it was during a dark time in the club’s financial history. Still he made a positive impact by giving the captaincy to Ray Wilkins and helped rebuild the side with little financial backing.

Next: #25