The inheritance of Didier Drogba at Chélat is the fabric of legend.
The Ivorian striker was the beating heart of the golden era of the blues, a colossus that combined power, competence and an unequaled capacity to get up when it was most, especially in 2012 Champions League Final, where his unforgettable performance helped the blues to raise the trophy for the first time.
A decade after his departure, Chelsea always sucks in a successor capable of reproducing his impact on and off the field.
The club saw a rotating door of attackers in the post-drogba era, and although some like Diego Costa took advantage of solid careers at Stamford Bridge, no one was able to completely enter the shoes of the legendary striker.
Young prodigies who already make their brand in western London to established European stars, we look at five players that we think we have the potential to take the Drogba coat at Stamford Bridge.
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1
Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson
Chélat
Chélat
Nicolas Jackson, whom Chelsea signed in Villarreal in the summer of 2023, has a lot in common with Drogba. His physical presence and work rate reflect that of Drogba, while his ability to connect the room is perhaps even better than that of the Ivorian. He also has Large rhythm and intelligent movement.
However, where it is short compared to Drogba, it is its finish. Although he has improved a lot this quarter under Enzo Maresca, he still wastes too much likely, often needing two or three clear opportunities to get his name on the match sheet.
Since his move to Chelsea, Jackson has scored 23 goals in the Premier League, but also missed 39 big chances In his short blues career so far – exactly Triple the amount that Drogba missed Because it was recorded by the Premier League.
That being said, Jackson is only 23 years old, and less his finish of flight offense, his impressive performances to his peak suggest that he is able to direct the line to Stamford Bridge for the years to come. However, consistency and improved screens in front of the objective will determine if it reaches the heights of Drogba.
2
MHEUKA
MHEUKA
Chélat
Chélat
Shim Mheuka quickly got into the ranks of the Chelsea Academy since he joined the Brighton & Hove Albion club in 2022.
During the 2023/24 season, he regularly appeared for those under 18 despite being a schoolboy, scoring 12 impressive goals in 20 appearances in all competitions, including a memorable outing at Stamford Bridge during the national final under the age of 18 against Manchester United.
Mheuka also played a central role for England in the European under -17 championship last summer, marking their opening match against Spain. More recently, he marked his first call for children under 19, marking against France and the Netherlands.
Today, 17 years old, the powerful framework of Mheuka, the intelligent movement and the superb finishing capacities – all the qualities presented by Drogba – have already attracted the attention of Maresca, the Italian giving him his first team in a 3-1 victory on Astana in the league of the conference in December.
There is no doubt that he has a brilliant future in western London, and since Drogba was 26 years old when he signed for Chelsea, there is a lot of time for Mheuka to prove that he has what it takes to become a Drogba-Esque talent.
3
Liam Delap
Liam Delap
City of Ipswich
Liam Delap was one of the best attackers in the Premier League this season. Big, strong and with a deadly eye for the goal, the attacker scored 10 goals in the elite for the newly promoted Ipswich city and turned out to be a real handle for some of the best defenders of the high flight.
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Already linked to a move to ChelseaMaresca, who led him like a youngster during his stay in the ranks of young people from Manchester City, is a great admirer.
“Liam is a fantastic player, and also for his age,” said Maresca in December Before Chelsea was beaten 2-0 by Ipswich, a match in which Delap scored the opening goal. “I think we spent a year together, and he scored 22 to 24 goals. He’s a very good attacker.
“England has a lot of good players, many good attackers,” he added. “He works hard on the ball and on the ball, understands the match and can score goals. I think he can be an important player for England.” For Chelsea too, maybe?
4
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen
Galatasaray / Napoli
Victor Osimhen is perhaps the current player closest to Drogba in terms of style and impact.
The Nigerian striker Napoli rating record Certainly recalls Drogba, not to mention continuing his sequence in front of the goal in a Galatasaray shirt, which the Ivorian did himself between his Chelsea spells.
Osimhen almost joined Chelsea in summer, but the agreement dropped before his loan to Istanbul.
During his stay, he again showed why he is one of the deadliest attackers in world football, scoring 20 goals in 27 games, including two against Tottenham in the Europa League, which would already make him a hero of Chelsea for some.
5
Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko
RB Leipzig
Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig is one of the most exciting young attackers in Europe and Often compared to Erling Haaland Due to his physical attributes and his style of play. Rather above all, he was also mentioned in the same breath as Chelsea Star Drogba.
The Slovenian striker is at 6 feet 4, which makes him a real handle for the defenders when the ball is crossed in the box. Not only is he tall, but he is also a great head of the ball. Since he moved to Leipzig in 2023, the 21 -year -old scored seven goals to the head.
Drogba, meanwhile, found the net with his Noggin 17 times for Chelsea in the Premier League.
Like Drogba, Sesko has the capacity to mark in the long term, better presented by his astonishing strike against Werder Bremen in January, where he triggered a powerful training that almost broke the net at 25 meters.
Already would have on the radar of Chelsea, A move to Stamford Bridge could give him the chance to become the next dominant striker of Chelsea, potentially according to the traces of Drogba.
