2001: Gallas moves to Chelsea
French defender William Gallas arrived at Stamford Bridge to become Claudio Ranieri's first signing in charge of the Blues.
Gallas, who joined from Marseille, was used at right-back and in central defence as was an important part of the Chelsea side as they won back-to-back PL titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06.
In 2006, Gallas scored the opening goal as Chelsea defeated Manchester United 3-0 to retain Premier League Trophy.
Later that summer he left for Arsenal having played 159 times for Chelsea in the PL.
2004: Laursen joins Aston Villa
Aston Villa completed their first transfer of the summer window by signing Martin Laursen from AC Milan.
The central defender was hampered by knee problems in his first three seasons at Villa Park but when fit, was a key member of the side.
He was an ever-present player in the 2007/08 Premier League campaign, scoring six goals to help Villa finish sixth place, but another knee injury led to him having to retire in 2009.
He made a total of 84 PL appearances, scoring eight goals.
