The Blues' icon has made some superb transfers during her 12 years so, as she gets set to leave to take charge of the USWNT, GOAL counts them down…
Emma Hayes' time as Chelsea manager will come to an end on Saturday, when either the Blues or Manchester City will lift the Women's Super League title. Hayes' side are in pole position for a final day that could well see the trophy's destination decided on goal difference, and if they can get over the line, it would represent a fifth-successive league triumph and a 16th trophy in the manager's 12-year tenure.
During that time, a lot of special players have sported the Chelsea blue and delivered significant contributions to a remarkable rise to the top of the game, the club now the dominant force in the English women's game and among the elite across the world. Some of them have come through the system, but many others have been spotted and snapped up by Hayes and her staff as worthy of representing this winning machine.
But which have been the best transfers that Hayes has made during her time in charge of Chelsea? As she prepares to say farewell, and gets set to take over the United States women's national team, GOAL ranks her top 15 signings…
Getty15Bethany England
It took a bit of time for Bethany England to be a success at Chelsea. She joined the club from Doncaster Rovers Belles ahead of the 2016 season, but found herself out on loan at Liverpool just over 18 months later, having struggled to adapt to the new, full-time life in London. England has since admitted that she felt like she wasn't wanted when she was sent out to join the Reds, but she changed her mindset, thrived on Merseyside and returned to Chelsea to become a star.
There were so many big moments for England at the club from there, with the Conti Cup final in 2020 one that stands out in particular. It was the one title missing from Chelsea's trophy cabinet and her brace delivered it, the second goal coming in the 92nd minute.
Sadly, England's role became a reduced one before her departure in January 2023, when she joined Spurs for a then-British record fee. But the 2019-20 Chelsea Player of the Year deserves a place on this list because of the huge contributions she made to 10 trophies before that point.
AdvertisementGetty Images14Lauren James
A player who is sure to rise up this list in the years to come, Chelsea didn't hesitate to pay a then-British record fee for Lauren James back in the summer of 2021 and Hayes showed remarkable patience to get the England star back on the right track after a frustrating season of niggling injuries at Manchester United.
“Emma is always helpful,” James said last year. “She’s played a massive role in just getting me back to being myself again. She just says, ‘Enjoy it. Start enjoying the moments.’ Obviously, I’ve had two years of just constant injuries. She managed me well and it’s allowed me to find my feet again.”
James barely played in her first year at the club but it was all part of the plan and she has shown her remarkable talent on so many occasions in the two seasons since. Still only 22 years old, it feels like the sky is the limit for her.
Getty Images13Pernille Harder
Pernille Harder had a lot to live up to when she was signed by Chelsea in 2020, as she did so for a world-record fee. But this is Harder we are talking about, a player who thrives under pressure, and her three years at the club were an unequivocal success.
The Dane’s goals were crucial when the Blues reached the Champions League final for the first time in 2021 while her performance off the bench in the 2023 Women’s FA Cup final was one of her most memorable, as she single-handedly changed the game to inspire her team to another Wembley victory.
Injuries stop Harder from ranking further up this list, but she is certainly one of Hayes’ greatest-ever signings. Her contributions helped Chelsea win three successive league and cup doubles as they established themselves as England’s dominant force.
Getty12Hedvig Lindahl
A player that Hayes herself has declared a Chelsea legend, Hedvig Lindahl joined the club back in 2015 when she was, in the manager's words, "at the top of her game". The quality and experience she was able to bring to the goalkeeper role was crucial at a vital time in the Blues' journey, as it was when they first started to win major honours.
Lindahl was between the sticks when Chelsea won all of their first four major honours, starting with the FA Cup in her first season. She helped make that a double when they won the WSL for the first time shortly afterwards, and it was a feat she and the team would repeat in the 2017-18 season.
"I think she transformed our results on the pitch," Hayes said of Lindahl back in 2021, ahead of the pair reuniting in Chelsea's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. "She will go down as a legend of the football club for the contribution she made to the trophies that we've won. I never underestimate Hedvig Lindahl. I know her qualities inside out and I'm very grateful and thankful for what she's done for this football club."
