Chelsea's entire defence cost £80m, same as Man United's Harry Maguire

Premier League heavyweights Chelsea went on a summer spending spree, roping in the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to bolster their attacking options. Frank Lampard also signed Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy to fix the defensive hollowness that was on display last summer. Although some critics slammed the Blues for their hefty expenditure to fix their leaky defence, an interesting stat reveals just how feasible the cumulative transfer fee was.

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Thiago Silva free agent move a boon for Chelsea 

Chelsea got their hands on Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Thiago Silva after his contract ended with the Ligue 1 giants. The Brazilian centre-back arrived on a free transfer to the Stamford Bridge, as he sees out the final years of his professional career in club football.

Lampard also decided to promote 21-year-old Reece James to provide cover for the defence on the right flank. Being an academy product, the England footballer's move did not cost Chelsea a single penny, becoming only the second player with zero transfer cost apart from Silva. 

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Chelsea defence worth £80m, same as Harry Maguire's fee 

Chelsea then roped in Ben Chilwell from Leicester City this summer. Although the fee was not revealed, BBC claims the Blues paid £45 million to Leicester City for the transfer of the England left-back. With Kepa Arrizabalaga's struggling form between the sticks since his arrival from Athletic Bilbao, Lampard decided to move in for Rennes goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy for a reported fee of £22 million. 

Kurt Zouma, who joined Chelsea in 2014, cost the Blues £13 million. The total cost of the Chelsea defence now stands at £80 million, which is equal to the amount Man United paid to sign Harry Maguire. The England international was signed by the Old Trafford outfit in 2019 from Leicester City. 

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Maguire value depreciates to £44m

Man United broke the previous record set by Liverpool in signing Virgil van Dijk with the Maguire deal. The Dutchman was signed for a fee of £75 million from Southampton. With Man United paying more than Liverpool, Maguire became the most expensive defender in the world. Maguire's has value has depreciated sharply since, with Transfermarkt estimating his value at £44 million. 

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Image courtesy: Ben Chilwell/ Harry Maguire Twitter