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DM: Claude Makelele
Claude Makelele was so good for Chelsea that he had the defensive midfield position named after him as the 'Makelele role'. The French midfielder was the perfect screen for the Chelsea defense in his six years at the club.
Makelele joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2003; he was one of the first signings of the Roman era and was brought in for around £16 million by Claudio Ranieri. In Jose Mourinho's first season at the club, he declared the Frenchman his player of the season for the way he helped the team.
Makelele was a no-nonsense player in the Chelsea set-up tasked to break up opposition attacks, and he did it to perfection. The midfielder appeared in the club's first UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United in 2008, completing 120 minutes before being substituted for Juliano Belletti before the penalty shootout.
Makelele left Chelsea after the 2007-08 season, having won six titles at the club.
CM - N'Golo Kante
Leicester City unearthed a gem and Chelsea immediately snapped up that gem in N'Golo Kante. The French midfielder is the closest player to Claude Makelele imaginable, but possesses a level of technical skill even Makelele doesn't.
Kante joined Chelsea after a title-winning season with Leicester City and immediately helped a Chelsea side that finished 10th in the previous season to win the title.
The Frenchman was instrumental to the French national team winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, their first in 20 years. Kante delivered a superhuman effort for Chelsea in the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League final against Arsenal despite only being passed fit hours before the match.
The Frenchman delivered back-to-back man-of-the-match performances for Chelsea in the latter stages of their 2021 UEFA Champions League triumph as well. Kante was nominated for both the FIFA The Best Men's Player and Ballon d'Or awards in 2021.
CM: Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard joined Chelsea from West Ham in 2001 and went on to become a legend at Stamford Bridge. The greatest goalscoring midfielder in the history of the Premier League, Lampard is also the record goalscorer for Chelsea.
The midfielder scored 211 goals in 648 appearances for Chelsea. His 177 Premier League goals make him the league's most prolific midfielder. Lampard played a vital role in Chelsea's success, captaining the side in their 2012 UEFA Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
Lampard left Chelsea at the expiry of his contract in the 2013-14 season for MLS side New York City FC. He returned to manage Chelsea in the 2019/20 campaign, but parted ways with the club midway through his second season.
