Despite spending an exorbitant sum of money, it has been a tough couple of years for Chelsea fans.
The west Londoners went through four managers last season only to end up 12th in the Premier League, whereas this year, they have stuck with Mauricio Pochettino – for now – and are currently 11th.
So far, Todd Boehly and Co's plan to spend big on youngsters has not worked out, and while it could still come good in the end, there are several players on big wages at the club who probably shouldn't be.
In fact, one signing from last year is on substantially more than Conor Gallagher despite making little to no impact since joining.
How much Conor Gallagher earns at Chelsea
Gallagher, a boyhood Chelsea fan, has been with the club for his entire footballing journey. He fought his way through the various youth sides and impressed out on loan before finally taking his chance and staking a claim for a spot in the first team.
The Epsom-born gem made his full debut for the club against Leeds United on the 21st of August 2022 in the Premier League, although it wasn't quite the introduction to the team that he would've hoped for as the Peacocks beat them 3-0.
GK – Edouard Mendy
RB – Reece James
CB – Thiago Silva
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
LB – Marc Cucurella
CM – Jorginho
CM – Conor Gallagher
RM – Ruben Loftus-Cheek
LM – Mason Mount
ST – Kai Havertz
ST – Raheem Sterling
In fact, the Englishman's first season in the team probably didn't go quite as well as he was hoping it would as, after making 45 appearances, he had just three goals and one assist to his name, although considering he played just 2022 minutes, it isn't as a poor a return as it first looks.
However, the 24-year-old has dramatically improved this season, scoring four goals and providing six assists in just 36 appearances while also captaining the side on 17 occasions in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
In all, it would be quite hard to argue that the "heart" of the club, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, isn't deserving of his £50k-per-week wages, especially as there's another player in the team earning substantially more than that while making comparatively little impact.
How much Benoît Badiashile earns at Chelsea
There are quite a few players who earn more than Gallagher in Chelsea's current squad – 18 to be exact – including Robert Sanchez, Nicolas Jackson, and Axel Disasi, but perhaps the most surprising is Benoît Badiashile.
The French centre-back is currently bringing home a healthy pay packet of £90k-per-week, which is £40k-per-week more than the stand-in captain, or almost double.
Now, while a wage of £90k-per-week is unimaginable for the vast majority of people, it is not terribly abnormal in the Premier League, and so, if Badiashile was regularly playing for Chelsea, it might be easier to understand, but he's not.
Appearances
23
Cost per Appearance
£1.7m
Minutes
1791'
Cost per Minute
£22k-per-minute
Goals
2
Assists
1
In all, the former AS Monaco man has made 23 appearances since completing his £35m move last January, and while a large part of that is due to the 25 games he has missed through injury, it's also been down to a slew of less-than-ideal performances.
For example, when he was selected to start at Anfield in January, he looked utterly hopeless, putting in a display that Gabby Agbonlahor described as "dreadful" and "the worst centre-half performance I've seen in the Premier League."
He was also directly responsible for Newcastle United's opening goal in the club's League Cup tie in December, only avoiding serious criticism thanks to the 92nd-minute equaliser from Mykhailo Mudryk.
Considering his 60 weeks of wages, which amount to £5.4m, and the £35m transfer fee he originally cost the club, it is hard not to look at that £40m as money wasted, at least for now.
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Ultimately, the young Frenchman is only 22 years old, and he could well come good for Chelsea, but given his consistent injury problems and less-than-stellar performances when he is fit, the signs aren't great.
