5 most influential Chelsea signings of the 21st century

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Chelsea v Southampton - Carabao Cup Round of 16
Chelsea v Southampton - Carabao Cup Round of 16

#3 Didier Drogba | Chelsea legend

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Al Ain v Real Madrid: Final - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018
Al Ain v Real Madrid: Final - FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018

Establishing himself as a Chelsea legend almost looked like an effortless thing for the Ivorian international. He left Marseille in 2004 to join Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side and quickly became one of the most potent goalscorers in the Premier League. He was notably the first African player to score 100 Premier League goals.

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Drogba is Chelsea's highest foreign goalscorer with 145 goals in all competitions, a position he has held for just under a decade.

He was often referred to as the ultimate big-game player due to his goalscoring prowess during the most important games. He notably scored 10 goals in 10 finals to guide the Blues to 10 trophies.


#2 Eden Hazard | Real Madrid

Chelsea v Arsenal - UEFA Europa League Final
Chelsea v Arsenal - UEFA Europa League Final

The last few seasons have been one of struggles and poor performances for Eden Hazard at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, during his time at Chelsea, the star was an enigma.

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Leaving Lille to join Chelsea in 2012, Hazard became the Blues' key talisman. He unlocked Premier League defenses at will, guiding the side to six trophies in seven years.

While the star might have stalled at Real Madrid, his Chelsea numbers were astonishing as he scored a goal every three games for the Blues. There have been rumors of a return for the former Chelsea star. The Blues fans will certainly be hoping that he is triumphant if he does return.

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#1 Frank Lampard | Chelsea legend

Fulham v Chelsea - Premier League
Fulham v Chelsea - Premier League

Lampard had a tough time managing the Blues and eventually got fired in 2021 due to poor performances. Due to this, it can be easy to forget that the young manager is one of the best Chelsea players in the history of the club.

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Signed from West Ham for a paltry £11 million in 2001, the legend provided Chelsea with some of the best midfield performances they had ever seen.

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Lampard is the midfielder with the highest number of goals in Premier League history. He also set a record by making 164 consecutive appearances for the Blues since his West Ham move.

Even during his later years, when his playing time was reduced, Lampard remained a key figure in the club. His notable output of 20 goals per season for five consecutive seasons is something no other midfielder at Chelsea has done. He will always be legendary because of it.

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Edited by Aditya Singh
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