The Premier League's decision to punish Chelsea for historical financial breaches has dominated the sporting agenda in recent days.
Many have felt the penalty - which saw the Blues handed a record-breaking fine of £10.75million, a nine-month academy transfer ban and a suspended year-long first-team transfer ban - was too lenient given the first team have faced no particular sporting sanctions.
The situation arose after Chelsea's owners self-reported financial irregularities to the footballing authorities having discovered them while doing their due diligence amid their May 2022 takeover - and a report found the club had made a series of secret payments to players, unlicensed agents and other third parties during Roman Abramovich’s ownership from 2011 to 2018.
Chelsea admitted that over this period payments totalling £47,524,925.74 were made by third party entities to 12 individuals or corporate entities. Of those, around £23m were made to seven unregistered agents over seven transfers.
Five of those seven transfers involved Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle, Nemanja Matic and Ramires, while a further £19.3m was made to two entities in connection with the transfers of Willian and Samuel Eto’o. Payments of £3.8m were also made in connection with one further transfer, with the player’s name redacted. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the players involved.
But, in light of all the noise, how did the Chelsea careers of all of those players unfold? Daily Mail Sport takes a look.
Nemanja Matic
Spell(s) at club: 2009-11 after joining from Kosice for £1.5m and 2014-17 after joining from Benfica for £21m
After originally joining as a youngster from Slovakian side Kosice, Nemanja Matic made a limited impact at Chelsea, playing just three times before he began to make a name for himself at Benfica.
Returning to the club in a £21million deal in 2014, Matic became a key cog as Chelsea won the Premier League and League Cup under Jose Mourinho in 2014-15, before he shone again in their 2016-17 title triumph with Antonio Conte at the helm.
After the 2014-15 campaign, the Serbian, who now plays for Sassuolo, was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Matic also played once in Chelsea's triumphant FA Cup campaign of 2009-10 in his first spell and he was sold to Man United in 2017 for £40m, thereby returning a hefty profit.
Trophies won: Premier League 2014-15 and 2016-17, FA Cup 2009-10, League Cup 2014-15.
Ramires
Spell(s) at club: 2010-2016 after joining from Benfica for £17m
Brazilian midfielder Ramires will always be remembered fondly at Stamford Bridge not only for his success, but also his attitude and playing style that saw him nicknamed as both 'Rambo' by Chelsea fans.
He was a key cog during his time at the club, winning the Premier League in 2014-15, along with the League Cup that season.
Ramires also lifted the FA Cup in 2011-12 and the 2012-13 Europa League, but his most memorable impact came in the Blues' 2011-12 Champions League campaign.
The midfielder put in a superb display in the second leg of Chelsea's shock Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona as he scored the goal which put his side ahead on away goals - before Fernando Torres' iconic strike capped the victory.
Unfortunately for Ramires - who had also set up Didier Drogba's strike in the first leg - he picked up a yellow card in the second leg and missed the final through suspension.
He moved to Jiangsu Suning as part of the Chinese Super League boom in 2016 before ending his career at Palmeiras in his homeland.
Trophies won: Premier League 2014-15 , Champions League 2011-12, Europa League 2012-13, League Cup 2014-15 and FA Cup 2011-12.
David Luiz
Spell(s) at club: 2011-14 after joining from Benfica for £21.6m and 2016-19 after joining from PSG for £34m
Like Matic, David Luiz enjoyed two spells at Chelsea and his importance and popularity grew throughout his time at the club.
After initially being viewed as somewhat of a defensive liability, Luiz improved and played a big role in the 2012 Champions League final, scoring his penalty in the shoot-out as the Blues won 4-3.
The Brazilian - who now plays for Cypriot side Pafos - also won the Europa League and FA Cup on two occasions, and lifted the Premier League under Antonio Conte in 2017.
Trophies won: Premier League 2016-17, Champions League 2011-12, Europa League 2012-13 and 2018-19 and FA Cup 2011-12 and 2017-18.
Eden Hazard
Spell(s) at club: 2012-19 after joining from Lille for £32m
Chelsea beat off a whole host of top European clubs when they completed the signing of a 21-year-old Belgian forward by the name of Eden Hazard.
And it proved to be a superb acquisition as Hazard developed into a modern-day great at Stamford Bridge.
The fact he struggled after leaving West London almost added to his allure, but when he moved to Real Madrid for a huge £130m fee, it was reflective of his status as one of the best players in the world.
There were numerous honours along the way in the form of six trophies, yet Hazard also won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 2014-15 - and the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2013-14.
His impact was demonstrated further by his induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2025.
Trophies won: Premier League 2014-15 and 2016-17, Europa League 2012-13 and 2018-19, FA Cup 2017-18, League Cup 2014-15.
Andre Schurrle
Spell(s) at club: 2013-15 after joining from Bayer Leverkusen for £18m
Andre Schurrle's spell at Chelsea was a brief one, lasting just 18 months, yet he proved to be a reliable squad member who scored some important goals.
This included a hat-trick against Fulham in March 2024 and a decisive strike to help Chelsea advance to the Champions League semi-finals.
Despite leaving the following January, he still played enough to qualify for a Premier League medal in 2014-15 - and featured three times in the League Cup triumph that season.
Since retiring in 2020, Schurrle has followed an unfamiliar pattern, becoming an extreme endurance athlete and fitness entrepreneur. This includes a focus on extreme, cold-weather 'Iceman' challenges, mountain climbing and marathons.
Trophies won: Premier League 2014-15 and League Cup 2014-15.
Samuel Eto'o
Spell(s) at club: 2013-14 after joining from Anzhi Makhachkala on a free transfer
Chelsea picked up Samuel Eto'o when the Cameroonian legend was past his best at the age of 32, yet he still proved to be a handy addition.
Eto'o lasted a singular season at Stamford Bridge during the first campaign of Jose Mourinho's second spell at the club, and although the Blues failed to win a trophy, the building blocks were laid for the following year's title triumph.
Eto'o, who joined Everton in the summer of 2014, managed a respectable 12 goals in 35 games in all competitions for Chelsea.
He has since moved into football administration and has served as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation since December 2021.
Trophies won: None
Willian
Spell(s): 2013-20 after joining from Anzhi Makhachkala for £30m
Willian's popularity among Chelsea fans was immediate when he joined despite having already undergone a medical with Tottenham.
Over the subsequent seven years at the club, Willian proved to be the perfect foil for other attackers and also provided 121 goal contributions.
The Brazilian won five trophies and was named as Chelsea's Player of the Year in 2016 - and his enduring popularity was demonstrated by the reception he received when he returned to Stamford Bridge as a Fulham player in 2023.
The 37-year-old, who has also represented Arsenal, Corinthians and Olympiacos since his 2020 summer exit, is now back in his homeland with Gremio.
Trophies won: Premier League 2014-15 and 2016-17, Europa League 2018-19, FA Cup 2017-18 and League Cup 2014-15.