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Central midfield: N'Golo Kante
The former Leicester City star is arguably Chelsea's best player at the moment. Topping nearly all the defensive stats during his season with the Foxes, it didn't come as a surprise when the Blues splashed the cash to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Often compared to Makelele, Kante's vibrant defensive work rate has made him highly instrumental in Chelsea's recent successes. Known for his determination, constant running, fluidity, and box-to-box style of play, Kante is the master key in Chelsea's midfield today. A popular internet meme says 70% of the planet is covered by water and the rest by Kanté - this just goes to show how important he is to the Blues.
Having won the World Cup with France, N'Golo Kante has won an FA Cup, a Europa League title, and a Champions League and a Premier League title with Chelsea. He has clearly cemented his legendary status at Stamford Bridge, and lucky for Chelsea, he still has a few more years to give.
Central midfield: Frank Lampard
John Terry might be the greatest Chelsea player ever, but Frank Lampard is a very strong contender for that position. The former Chelsea manager arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2001 after making the move from rivals West Ham. His journey with the Blues was a little sticky initially, but before long, Lampard would flourish and become an integral part of the club for over a decade.
Retaining his status in the first team after Abramovich's takeover, Frank Lampard was the ultimate midfielder for the Blues in the seasons that followed. Skilled in creative playmaking as well as having a keen eye for goal from distance, Lampard became Chelsea's record all-time goalscorer with an eye-watering 211 goals from midfield.
With three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, a Champions League, and a Europa League under his belt as a Blues player, it wasn't too surprising when he was brought on board to replicate that success as the manager of the club. Although he has sadly been relieved of his managerial duties, Lampard remains a legend at Stamford Bridge.
Right wing: Gianfranco Zola
The only person on this list who services to Chelsea precedes the entrance of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is Gianfranco Zola. Joining from Italian club Parma, Zola quickly became one of the most influential attackers in Chelsea's lineup.
Selfless with the ball, creatively unpredictable and extremely agile, Zola was nicknamed Magic Box during his time at Stamford Bridge. Notably, he won the Chelsea Player of the Year award twice and the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1997.
Zola and his magical dribbling skills helped Chelsea to six trophies in his seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge. His goal-scoring was a mesmerizing sight to behold, and his dead-ball prowess was quite brilliant as well. Although he returned to Italy in 2003, Gianfranco Zola remains one of Chelsea's best players.
Center forward: Didier Drogba
Finishing an eight-year stint with the Blues - and even coming back for a ninth - The King of Stamford Bridge is undoubtedly one of the best players in the club's history.
Expectations were high for the Ivorian when he moved to Chelsea from Marseille for a record transfer fee of £24 million. This clearly didn't affect the star as he continued to improve progressively, driving Chelsea to pick up an astonishing 14 trophies in his time at the club.
Known for his strength on the ball and his physical prowess, Drogba popularized the concept of the target man. Most notably, the former Ivorian international was respected for his ability to perform in important games. He currently holds an interesting goalscoring record for Chelsea: 10 goals in 10 finals winning 10 trophies. Legendary!
Left-wing: Eden Hazard
Chelsea's decision to pay £32m to Lille for Belgium international Eden Hazard proved to be a very shrewd deal for the club. Notably, it didn't take long for Hazard to showcase what the Chelsea scouts had seen in him during his time at Lille.
Arguably one of the best wing-forwards in modern football, Hazard was loved and respected by Chelsea fans and rivals alike. He entertained spectators with his agility and dribbling skills, and he made it count where it really mattered: in goals and assists. The former Lille star directly contributed 139 goals in just 245 Premier League games for Chelsea.
During his spectacular seven years at Stamford Bridge, the star won six major trophies to cement his status as a modern-day great. He left for Real Madrid in 2019 on a high, scoring 16 Premier League goals and picking up the Europa trophy along the way.
