Lampard, Drogba, Hazard – Chelsea’s 10 greatest transfers of past 30 years

Chelsea and the transfer market have a mixed relationship over the past 30 years.

Life is changing at Stamford Bridge with the arrival of co-owner Todd Boehly following the completion of his £4billion takeover of the club from Roman Abramovich. The Blues spent more than any other Premier League club in the summer transfer window this year, signing eight new first team players and almost breaking the £300million mark.

New manager Mauricio Pochettino is likely to be backed by Boehly when the next transfer window rolls around in the new year, although plans may need to wait until next summer with the January transfer window proving a difficult time to complete key deals. It remains to be seen as to whether any of the new signings under the new ownership model will reach the heights of the likes of Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard is regarded as a club legend at Chelsea. Signed from West Ham at a young age for a fee in the region of £14million, Lampard developed into one of the world’s best midfielders under Jose Mourinho and continued to perform throughout his 13-year career at Stamford Bridge.

The now Everton manager made 644 appearances for the Blues scoring 211 goals and providing a further 145 assists as he remains the Premier League’s all-time top scoring midfielder with 177 goals in the English top-flight. During his career, Lampard lifted the Premier League three times, FA Cup four times, EFL Cup twice, UEFA Champions League and Europa League, as well as winning the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 2005.

Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba is an all-time fan-favourite and was one of the best all-round strikers in Premier League history. The Ivorian striker’s physicality paired with his unbelievable ability in front of goal saw him score 164 goals in 384 appearances for the Blues.

His best moment arguably came in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final when he nodded home a late equaliser against Bayern Munich before scoring the winning penalty to help Chelsea win their first ever Champions League trophy. Drogba was named Chelsea’s greatest ever player in a poll of 20,000 fans conducted by Chelsea FC Magazine in 2012 following his historic match-winning performance.

The former Ivory Coast international was the definition of a ‘big-game player’ after scoring nine goals in nine cup finals for the Blues and his £34million signing is up there with one of the best in the club’s history.

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard was regarded as one of the hottest talents in Europe when he signed for Chelsea from Lille in 2012. Arriving for a fee of £32million, the Blues would end up making a major profit on Hazard following his £90million move to Real Madrid in 2019.

The Belgian winger’s best years were at Stamford Bridge though where he was adored by fans for his trickery, flair and overall performances. Hazard registered 202 goal contributions in 352 appearances for Chelsea, winning the Premier League twice, an FA Cup, an EFL Cup and two Europa League titles.