The 5 Worst Signings Thomas Tuchel Made as Chelsea Manager

When we hear the name Thomas Tuchel, the first things that usually come to mind are his tactical intelligence, his ability to understand how to win important matches, and his excellent game-by-game planning.

Tuchel has managed several major clubs, including Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, and has won numerous trophies throughout his coaching career. He has also served as the manager of the England national team.

While Tuchel is highly regarded for his tactical approach and match preparation, his record in the transfer market has also included several signings that did not work out as expected.

After winning the Champions League with Chelsea, Tuchel made several major signings in an attempt to strengthen the squad and challenge for the Premier League title in the following season.

Here are five of the signings made during Tuchel's time at Chelsea that did not work out as expected.

1. Romelu Lukaku

Tuchel was particularly keen on bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Chelsea to solve the club's need for a quality centre-forward.

Chelsea paid around €113 million to sign Lukaku, but his performances did not live up to the huge transfer fee.

Lukaku's second spell at Chelsea initially showed some promise, but his performances gradually became disappointing.

He struggled to establish himself as the dominant striker Chelsea had expected, making the transfer one of the most expensive and disappointing signings of Tuchel's managerial career.

2. Wesley Fofana

Tuchel signed Wesley Fofana from Leicester City for around €83 million to strengthen Chelsea's defence.

Chelsea invested heavily in the young centre-back and had high expectations for him. However, things did not go according to plan.

Shortly after joining Chelsea, Fofana repeatedly suffered from serious injury problems.

As a result, he spent considerably more time on the sidelines than on the pitch.

During his first three seasons at Chelsea, Fofana was reportedly able to play only around 20.5% of the available minutes across competitions, with injuries keeping him out for long periods.

3. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Tuchel also brought in another striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, from Arsenal.

Aubameyang had previously established himself as a prolific goalscorer, but he struggled considerably after moving to Chelsea.

He made 21 appearances for Chelsea and scored only three goals.

The prolific form he had shown during the best years of his career was largely missing during his time at Chelsea.

He eventually left Chelsea and moved to Marseille.

4. Saúl Ñíguez

To strengthen Chelsea's midfield, Tuchel brought in Spanish midfielder Saúl Ñíguez from Atlético Madrid on loan.

However, Saúl struggled to adapt to the Premier League and did not receive enough playing time at Chelsea.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, he made only six appearances and failed to register a goal contribution.

When his loan spell ended, Saúl returned to Atlético Madrid.

5. Denis Zakaria

Denis Zakaria was another midfielder who joined Chelsea on loan.

The Swiss midfielder arrived from Juventus, but he struggled to establish himself in Tuchel's team and did not receive regular playing time.

Zakaria made just seven appearances for Chelsea before returning to Juventus when his loan spell ended.

And that brings us to five of the signings made during Thomas Tuchel's time as Chelsea manager that failed to make the expected impact.

Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to read until the end.