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Chelsea have signed a lot of players in the last two seasons and they are far from done. Reports suggest the Blues are looking to add Jules Kounde and Saul Niguez to their squad before the window closes this month.
Thomas Tuchel has a ton of fresh faces in the squad and Chelsea have one of the youngest teams in the Premier League. However, there are a few players who have been at the club for a long time and are the backbone of the squad.
On that note, here is a look at the
5 longest-serving players in the current Chelsea first-team squad
Note: Only time in the first-team squad has been calculated and time spent in the academy has not been counted. Additionally, Kurt Zouma has been left out as he's reportedly on the verge of completing a move to West Ham United.
#5 Marcos Alonso
Chelsea signed Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina back in August 2016 and his time at the club has been erratic. The Spaniard went from being the best left wing-back in the world to an average left-back with the flick of a switch.
Marcos Alonso has enjoyed a good spell at Chelsea and given the start to the ongoing Premier League season, his time at the club is nowhere near its end. He has a contract until 2023 at Stamford Bridge and could sign an extension next summer if things go according to plan in the coming months.
#4 N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante has been at Chelsea since July 2016 and was one of the first signings under Antonio Conte. The Italian manager was keen on working with the Frenchman, who was on top of his game at Leicester City.
Since then, N'Golo Kante has worked under Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea. Several players have gone in and out of the team but the Frenchman has remained a constant.
Thomas Tuchel spoke highly of N'Golo Kante earlier this year and said:
"For years, I was fighting to have him (Kanté) in my team and now we did it the other way around – I came to his team (Chelsea). It's a coach's dream to have N'Golo (Kanté) on your side, because he makes things easy for everybody on the pitch."
"He (Kanté) is such a nice guy, such a humble person and his mentality is to be everywhere on the pitch, to make things easy, to help out, to win the ball back. I'm very, very happy that this kind of player shines so brightly suddenly, on this level of performances, because this is important for football that these kinds of players, who serve a team, are in the spotlight."
Like Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kante has a contract until 2023 and is set for fresh contract talks this season.
#3 Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Ruben Loftus-Cheek made his Chelsea senior debut in December 2014. The midfielder was handed his debut by Jose Mourinho and was touted for big things straight away.
However, the real chance he got in the first team was under Maurizio Sarri as he was used as a 3rd choice striker by Antonio Conte and later loaned out to Crystal Palace.
Things have not been great for Loftus-Cheek since his injury in a friendly and he is reportedly a target for AS Roma this summer.
#2 Andreas Christensen
Andreas Christensen was first promoted to Chelsea's first team back in 2013. Rafa Benitez included him in the final game of the season, but he went unused. He made his debut under Jose Mourinho at right-back in October 2014 - two months before Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Despite doing well, Jose Mourinho could not fit him into the starting XI at that point, and his Premier League debut only came towards the end of the season – May 24th, 2015 – in a 3-1 win over Sunderland.
The Danish star headed out on loan for two seasons before making his return to Chelsea's first team. He has been in and out of the starting XI, and is currently in the final year of his contract at the club.
However, reports suggest Andreas Christensen has been offered a new long-term deal and Chelsea are reportedly confident of making it official soon.
#1 Cesar Azpilicueta
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is currently the longest-serving player at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard joined in 2012, right after Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League.
Just like N'Golo Kante, Cesar Azpilicueta has been a constant in the Chelsea starting XI and has played across the backline. He too has managed to get praise from Thomas Tuchel, who said:
“He’s a huge, huge factor; a key factor and a key player for me at this club. He, for me, expresses everything that I think is typical for Chelsea: He’s a fighter, he’s a team player, he does not accept limits, he’s always available, a top, top professional and at the same time a very nice guy. It’s deep within him to be a team player, he’s very self-aware, very self-reflective and it’s a pure pleasure to have him in the group."
“It was like this from the first moment; we had a strong connection from the first moment. I met a very honest and very open young man, who is so super-reliable on the pitch and who leaves his heart out there on the pitch every time he steps on the pitch for us."
He celebrated 9 years of being at the club earlier this week and is set for fresh contract talks as his current deal expires next summer.
