With the way Chelsea have been playing off late, Antonio Conte might not want to make any changes to his current squad. The Italian has transformed Chelsea back into Premier League heavyweights, despite the club showing evident struggles last season. He has managed to get the best out of nearly all his players, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Victor Moses, David Luiz and Pedro, especially benefiting from his tactics.
Conte has shown over the last few years that he one of the best tactical managers in the modern game, after achieving success with Juventus and the Italian National team. If his Chelsea side are to carry on their fine form, they can well and truly be considered favourites to win the Premier League this season.
The Blues have become one of the dominant forces in English football, over the past decade and it is interesting to know whether Conte would have enjoyed similar success, had he managed the Chelsea teams of the past. With that in mind, here is our look at five former Chelsea players Conte would have loved to have in his squad.
#1 Frank Lampard
There can be no surprises that Frank Lampard makes the list. The Chelsea legend and the club’s all-time leading goal scorer would have been a top pick for any manager, let alone Conte. The midfielder possessed an extraordinary and powerful right foot with an equally impressive shot.
The former England international could score from long or close range, free kicks and penalties, while also being a reliable set-piece taker. With nearly 300 career goals to his name, the now 38-year-old was also a very hard working player for his team.
He was deployed in a deeper role in his last few years at Chelsea and still showed that he had to discipline to alter his game for the benefit of the team. In his prime, Lampard would have easily fitted into Conte’s plans, either as a central midfielder or in a more attacking role.
#2 Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba spent nine seasons at Chelsea over the course of two spells with the club. Apart from being a lethal goal scorer, Drogba also developed a cult following at Chelsea, with fans still holding the Ivorian in the highest of regards. He netted more than 100 times for Chelsea in the league, while also being a proven goal scorer in other competitions. The forward had tremendous strength and technique that would give even the best defenders a torrid time.
Much like Diego Costa, Drogba was a handful for most of the Premier League defenders and on his good day, it was simply impossible to stop him. Over the years he developed his ability on set-pieces and also became a prolific talent from the spot.
Conte would have loved to have such a talisman in his squad to do a job quite similar to the one Costa is doing for them this season.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne
One of Chelsea’s biggest regrets in recent years was allowing Kevin De Bruyne to leave the club, only for him to return to the Premier League with Manchester City a few seasons later. The Belgian is an outstanding talent and he has proven that time and again for both club and country. He has scored over 60 goals at club level, although he did not net for Chelsea in the nine times that he played for them.
He is a versatile midfielder who can play in any of the attacking areas but it his crosses and key passes that make him such a dangerous player in midfield. The 25-year-old can deliver pin-point crosses into the box, both from set-pieces and from open play. De Bruyne has also scored on numerous occasions with lethal and accurate free kicks, while also proving that he has a venomous shot on him.
Conte has already expressed his admiration for the midfielder, while also claiming that Chelsea might have made an error in selling the Belgian international.
#4 Claude Makelele
Chelsea wasted no time in signing N’Golo Kante at the start of this season and the Frenchman has quickly become a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge. But before he arrived, Chelsea fans would have considered Claude Makelele to be one of the greatest defensive midfielders to play for the club. The now-retired midfielder was so important in breaking up opposition play and starting a counter attack that he became a vital cog in nearly every team that he played for.
Makelele was so good at what he did that many referred to the defensive midfield position as the ‘Makelele role’. While he wasn’t a goal scorer during his playing days, he brought so much more to the side from a defensive perspective. The Frenchman was one of the key members of the Chelsea side that won back-to-back Premier League titles between 2004-2006.
Conte likes a tireless midfielder who is efficient in stopping the opposition from moving forward with ease, while also having a good range of passing. Kante is currently doing a similar job for Chelsea in that role but there is no doubt that Makelele would have been equally impressive.
#5 Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola has gone down in Chelsea history as the best player to don the Blue jersey. The Italian was an extremely talented player, with exquisite control, skill and technique on the ball. He could mesmerise opposition defenders with his mazy runs, while he also was a worthy goal scorer. Deadly on set-pieces, cheeky finishing and dazzling runs, Zola had it all and there is a reason that he is so widely regarded, not only at Stamford Bridge but also in world football.
He had such a positive impact of the Blues that the club has not given his iconic ‘25’ jersey to any player since he left the club.
Antonio Conte’s playing career might have coincided with that of Zola’s, making him even more aware of his Italian teammate’s quality. Although Zola’s career ended over 20 years ago, he still had possessed the quality and talent to make it into the current Chelsea line-up, when he was in his prime.
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