5. Didier Drogba – Marseille to Chelsea, £24m, 2004
The big Ivorian caught Chelsea’s eye thanks to a strong performance against them in the Champions League the previous year and upon signing a deal to make him the most expensive African player at the time quickly set about proving why he was worth so much money.
He enjoyed significant success at Stamford Bridge, notching up 137 goals in 341 appearances across a seven year period that also draw him collect three Premier League titles, four FA Cup’s, two League Cup’s and one Champions League winners medal before leaving for the far east.