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Former goalkeeper Petr Cech has named the most important players at Chelsea during his time at the Stamford Bridge.
Cech joined the Blues from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais in 2004. Before bidding farewell to Chelsea in 2015, he made 494 appearances across competitions for the English giants, keeping 228 clean sheets. Cech is regarded as one of the most successful names in the history of the Premier League for Chelsea.
However, according to Cech, former Blues captain John Terry and English midfielder Frank Lampard were more important players for the club. When asked about the most important players at Chelsea during his time, the Czech said (via the Daily Mail):
"That's hard, that's very hard. If you take English club, it would be either Frank or JT."
Cech won one UEFA Champions League, four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and one Europa League accolade with the Blues. In 2015, he decided to join Arsenal, where he spent four seasons before retiring in 2019.
£35 million defender can leave Chelsea on a permanent deal in the summer: Report
Ian Maatsen can reportedly leave Chelsea permanently after he got a decent start to his loan spell in Germany. The Dutch defender is currently on loan from the Blues to Borussia Dortmund.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is not interested in including Maatsen in the Blues' future plans. As a result, he might let the youngster leave in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Romano said (via his YouTube channel):
"Let me start by mentioning a player who could really leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window - he already left on loan in January and is doing very well - Ian Maatsen."
During his time at Chelsea in the 2023-24 season, Maatsen made 12 appearances across competitions, playing a total of 199 minutes. On the other side, since joining Borussia Dortmund, the Dutchman has provided two assists in five appearances.
Ian Maatsen reportedly has a £35 million ($44.2m) release clause. His loan contract with BVB doesn't include an option to buy. But his release clause will be valid in the summer transfer window.
