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Who are Chelsea’s Rivals in the Premier League?

Since Chelsea’s ascension into becoming one of the most-followed and successful English clubs of the modern generation, their local North West London derbies against two clubs in particular have become even more intense. These teams are Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who are Chelsea’s rivals in the Premier League. Even if the Blues have a bad season, a manager can potentially still become a hero in the eyes of fans if they succeed in winning the derbies against the two main rivals.

Chelsea – Tottenham Rivalry

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This is undoubtedly Chelsea’s most fierce and intense rival. It dates back to 1909 when the clubs were known as West London Chelsea and North London Tottenham Hotspur respectively. Since then, the clubs have gone on to play each other more than 160 times.

Dating back to the 1967 FA Cup final which Spurs won 2-1, the clashes between the teams have been attracting massive audiences. The 1967 FA Cup final has since become known more well as the “Cockney Cup final” and more than 100 000 people were in attendance.

As a result of the intensity of the rivalry, violence among fans was never rare.

A poll conducted in 2012 suggested that fans of Chelsea considered Tottenham to be their most bitter rival.

An important match between the rivals also took place in the 1974/75 season. Both clubs were battling relegation from the old First Division. Spurs won the game 2-0. Chelsea were subsequently relegated from the First Division while Chelsea stayed up, with a single point saving them. The win over Spurs helped the Blues stay up that season.

Chelsea – Arsenal Rivalry

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This rivalry become especially intense since Roman Abramovich acquired ownership of Chelsea in 2003 and transformed it into being one of the best teams in English football. Overall, Arsenal have dominated the rivalry though they have become more evenly matched over the last 20-years which coincided with Chelsea’s rice to prominence.

After Abramovich’s Chelsea revolution, Arsenal had to wait almost 20-years (until the 2020-21 season) in order to record their first league double over Chelsea.

Interestingly, Blues club legend Didier Drogba holds the record for the most goals in this derby as he found the back of the net 13 times in all competitions.  The Ivorian’s first goal against Arsenal came in a 1-0 home league win during the 2005/06 season.

His last was in a 2-0 win over the Gunners, also in the league back in October 2010. There is data to prove that hatred between the clubs has grown significantly higher over the past two decades.

The clubs had never really considered each other as primary rivals. According to a 2003 internet survey, Arsenal fans had considered Chelsea as their third rival behind Manchester United and Tottenham.

Chelsea fans who responded to the same survey said that they never considered Arsenal as their main rival. By 2008, a survey done by Football Fans Census revealed that Arsenal fans hated Chelsea fans the most, even ahead of arch-rivals Tottenham.

Chelsea fans named Arsenal as their second most hated team, behind Liverpool, who are Chelsea’s rivals up north.

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Potential Candidates To Replace Timo Werner

So far Timo Werner has struggled to score on a regular basis in England. The German joined the Blues from RB Leipzig ahead of this season but has not scored with the same regularity that saw him becoming a Bundesliga star.

Naturally, there are some reports suggesting that Werner could soon be on his way out of Stamford Bridge.

Should he end up leaving Chelsea, the following are candidates to replace him.

Sergio Aguero

The Argentine is set to leave Manchester City this summer. Aguero may now be 32-years-old but when fit, he is still a match-winner and world-class player.

He could still have a good 2-3 years of football left in him and with almost 300 Premier League appearances under his belt, he could bring in a wealth of experience to Stamford Bridge.

However, he is a Manchester City legend and so it remains to be seen if he will be willing to play for another club in England.

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Erling Haaland

20-year-old Haaland is expected to go on and become a generational great whilst also challenging for the Ballon d’Or. Haaland averages nearly a goal per game for current club Borussia Dortmund and it is likely that he will end up leaving Dortmund at some point in the near future in order to play for an elite club.

Haaland could be the long-term solution to Chelsea’s number nine dilemma though he will not come cheap and the Blues will have to battle numerous other clubs for his services.

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Harry Kane

At nearly 28-years-old, Kane is now at the prime of his career and will not get any better. Though a world-class player, he has yet to win a single major trophy and it does not look like Tottenham will win a piece of major silverware anytime soon.

Now could be the right time for Kane to join another club.

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Real Madrid’s Hazard Apologises After Being Friendly With Chelsea Players

Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard has issued an apology to football fans after appearing to be friendly with Chelsea players after Los Blancos recently lost their Champions League semi-final tie to his former club, Chelsea.

Hazard has been a flop at Chelsea

During a seven-year spell with Chelsea, Hazard established himself as one of the best players in the world. He won nearly everything there is to win in his time at Stamford Bridge, though the one major trophy which eluded him was the Champions League.

Hazard joined Madrid in the summer of 2019 and the reason that he left Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu was to try and win the Champions League.

The Blues did not win Europe’s Premier Club competition during the Belgian ace’s time with them and largely struggled to reach the final stages of the competition since they won the tournament in 2012.

There is no doubt that the fact that Hazard is a former Chelsea and not doing well at Madrid would have infuriated fans of the Spanish giants.

To add to the frustrations of Madrid fans, they brought in Hazard as a direct replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo who departed the club in the summer of 2018 to join Juventus.

Hazard has done anything but be a replacement for Ronaldo and it is believed that Madrid will be prepared to now listen to offers for him this summer.

“I am sorry. I have read lots of opinions about me today and it was not my intention to offend any Real Madrid fans,” Hazard posted on his Instagram story on Thursday.

“It has always been my dream to play for Real Madrid and I came here to win. The season is not over and together we must battle for La Liga! Hala Madrid!”

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What next for Hazard?

His reputation would have taken a knock as a result of his troubled spell at Chelsea but at 30-years-old, Hazard could still have another 3-4 years of good football left in him. These days, many top-level footballers are continuing to shine in the mid and late ’30s as is the case with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Hazard is a player who is a generational great and there is every reason that he can emulate Ronaldo and Messi if he is mentally strong.

 

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Former Chelsea Star Eden Hazard Is Not The First Player To Be Cursed At Real Madrid

Since joining Real Madrid in 2019 from Chelsea, Eden Hazard’s career has undergone a downward spiral. He is a shadow of the player that he was at Stamford Bridge and at this rate, Madrid will just be hoping to offload him as soon as possible and cut their losses.

Could a return to Chelsea for Hazard be possible? More strange things have happened in football but given that he is now 30, it does not seem likely given that the club is historically hesitant to sign players over 30.

The following are two players whose careers also went downhill after joining Madrid.

Kaka

The 2007 Ballon d’Or winner joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2009 at a time in which he was regarded as arguably the world’s best player. In the heyday of his career which was his first spell with AC Milan between 2003-2009, Kaka famously played a starring role in helping Milan to win the Champions League and Serie A.

He was a shadow of the player that he was at the Santiago Bernabeu over four years and he ended up returning to Milan in 2013 after his spell with Madrid ended. Whilst his second spell with Milan was decent, he failed to emulate the kind of form which saw him win the Ballon d’Or.

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Michael Owen

The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner betrayed Liverpool fans for the first time by pushing for a transfer to Real Madrid in 2004 when he was regarded as arguably the best striker in the world.

Owen failed to settle in Spain and failed to find the back of the net on a regular basis in his one season in Spain, scoring 13 goals from 36 La Liga games.

After one season in Spain, he returned to England with Newcastle United in 2005. Injuries ended up curtailing Owen’s ability to showcase the type of form that he displayed en route to winning the Ballon D’Or as a youngster.

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Best Three Nigerian Players To Have Played For Chelsea

Throughout the years, Chelsea has had its fair share of Nigerian players, some of which such as Ross Barkley, Fikayo Tomori, and Tammy Abraham have Nigerian heritage but are thorough Englishmen.

This list will only include players who opted to commit their international careers to Nigeria.

3. Victor Moses

After some impressive displays in the Premier League for Wigan Athletic, Moses earned a move to Chelsea in the summer of 2012. His time at Chelsea has been an interesting one. Moses initially struggled to earn regular game time at Stamford Bridge, spending time on loan with the likes of Liverpool, Stoke City, and West Ham.

He was roped back into the fold by Antonio Conte and was a first-team regular for the club in the 2016/17 season as it won the Premier League title.

Moses remained a first-team regular in the 2017/18 season but fell down the pecking order again. Still contracted to the Blues, he is currently on loan with Spartak Moscow.

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2.  Celestine Babayaro

The 27-times capped former Nigerian international is another interesting character. He joined the Blues in 1997 from Anderlecht before it became a major force and remained on its books until 2005 and after the Roman Abramovich revolution.

Babayaro made 132 Premier League appearances for the Blues, helping it to win the FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup.

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1. John Obi Mikel

He perhaps was never appreciated the way that he should have been but Obi Mikel has to go down as a Chelsea legend. He spent nine years at the club, something not many players are able to do due to the extremely competitive environment which exists at Stamford Bridge.

At 34-years-old, Mikel is still active in football, playing for Stoke City in the Championship. It remains to be seen whether he can help the Potters return to the Premier League.

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What Next For Tammy Abraham?

Tammy Abraham was a hit for Chelsea in the 2019/20 season as he went on to score 15 goals in the Premier League from 34 appearances, helping the club to attain a top four finish under Frank Lampard.

The 23-year-old’s second season with the Blues has not exactly gone to plan as he has struggled to score goals on a regular basis.

There is speculation that Abraham may be sold this summer in order to raise funds to invest in two new strikers.

Should Abraham leave, the following are some potential destinations.

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West Ham

West Ham sold Sebastien Haller in the January transfer window and did not bring in a replacement, meaning that Michail Antonio has essentially been their only recognized striker since then.

David Moyes has developed a reputation for getting the most out of his players, as he did with Jesse Lingard and with majority of the players in the Hammers setup.

Given that Antonio is injury-prone and now over 30, Abraham is almost definite to get regular game time if he moves to the Hammers.

Crystal Palace

With Roy Hodgson set to turn 74 this year and nearing the end of his contract, the Eagles will be expected to appoint a new manager soon with ex Chelsea boss Frank Lampard being tipped to potentially succeed Hodgson.

Abraham played brilliantly under Lampard last season and so could be tempted by a move to Selhurst Park if the latter ends up becoming Eagles manager.

Palace will also be expected to offload Christian Benteke in the near future and so may consider Abraham as a potential replacement.

Newcastle

Newcastle’s entire forward options have struggled to score regularly this season and Steve Bruce’s side must look to sign a new striker as a matter of priority next summer.

St James Park may offer Abraham a good opportunity to rebuild his career but the question is whether it will be a good environment for him to be in?

 

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What Next For Ex Chelsea Boss Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard was sacked by Chelsea earlier in this season after the club’s poor run of form. Lampard did show some signs of being a good manager. He led the West London club to a top-four finish in his first season at the helm of the club, despite its transfer ban.

However, Lampard’s lack of experience and flaws in terms of man-management eventually ended up costing him his job.

At just 42-years-old, it is unlikely that Lampard’s managerial career is over. The following are possible next destinations for him.

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Crystal Palace

Roy Hodgson is set to turn 74 later this year and with his contract at Crystal Palace set to expire at the end of the season, it looks unlikely that the Eagles will retain him.

The Eagles have been underwhelming in the past two years and need a fresh start. Signing a manager like Lampard will be a good statement of intent from a club that should be aiming to finish strongly in the top half of the table rather than on the bottom half.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham are without a manager after recently parting ways with Jose Mourinho and Ryan Mason taking charge of the club until the end of the season.

After many years of underachievement, Spurs do need to appoint a high-profile manager in order to try and influence their star players into committing their futures to the club rather than seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

The Lilywhites could offer Lampard a good chance to rebuild his credibility as a manager.

Newcastle

Under Steve Bruce, the Magpies have continued to underperform, though it must be said that Bruce has never really been given significant funds to invest in new transfers.

Lampard joining the Magpies could present a fresh start for both manager and player. However, it may be a poisoned chalice.

 

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Players Who Played For Both Arsenal And Chelsea

Being London rivals, Arsenal and Chelsea have never had a healthy relationship. However, there has been a fair share of players who transferred between the clubs.

This list will take a look at some of the names who have donned the jersey of both Chelsea and Arsenal.

Yossi Benayoun

Benayoun arrived at Chelsea in 2010 but was hardly used by the club. Interestingly, Chelsea loaned him out to Arsenal (arch-rival) in the middle of his spell.

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Lassana Diarra

As a youngster, Diarra was in the Chelsea fold but failed to win regular game time. He was sold to Arsenal in 2007 and went on to spend just one season with the Gunners before transferring to Portsmouth.

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Emmanuel Petit

Following a successful spell with Arsenal, the 1998 World Cup winner with France spent the final three years of his career at Stamford Bridge before hanging up his boots in 2004.

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Nicolas Anelka

A controversial character in his playing days, Anelka played for many clubs in his interesting career with Chelsea and Arsenal being among them. Anelka came through the Arsenal youth ranks before transferring to Real Madrid in 1999.

He moved to Chelsea from Bolton in 2008 and went on to spend the four most successful years of his career at Stamford Bridge as he helped the club win the Premier League and two FA Cups.

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Ashley Cole

Cole was part of the legendary Arsenal “Invicibles” side in 2004, helping Arsene Wenger’s side win the Premier League without losing a game. He lost the respect of most Arsenal fans by forcing through a transfer to Chelsea in 2006.

In his time at Chelsea, Cole won one Premier League, four FA Cups, one League Cup, the Champions League and Europa League.

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William Gallas

Gallas’ transfer was similar to Cole’s in that it was controversial but in his case, it was the opposite way around and led to him losing the respect of Chelsea fans after forcing through a transfer to Arsenal in 2006, where he spent four years, failing to win a major title.

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Cesc Fabregas

After establishing himself as one of the best players in the world at Arsenal, Fabregas left the Gunners to join boyhood club Barcelona in 2011. He spent three years in Spain before returning to England in 2014 with Chelsea where he would spend five years.

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Petr Cech

After 11 successful years at Chelsea, the Blues club legend left the club to join Arsenal in 2015. His transfer was not controversial as it was to get regular game time as a result of Thibaut Courtois displacing him as the Blues first-choice goalkeeper. Cech spent four years with the Gunners before hanging up his gloves in 2019.

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Olivier Giroud

Giroud’s transfer to Chelsea in 2018 was also hardly controversial. After six years at the Emirates, Giroud moved to Chelsea in January 2018 in order to try and get the playing time that he needed to win selection for France’s 2018 World Cup squad. He did just that, won the World Cup, and has been a valuable asset to the Blues dressing room.

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David Luiz

Luiz has had an interesting career. After two spells with Chelsea, the defender joined the Gunners in 2019 where he has continued to show signs of brilliance, though ultimately proven to be inconsistent.

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Willian

The most recent transfer between the clubs, Willian joined the Gunners from Chelsea in the summer of 2020. The Brazilian has struggled to find the net on a regular basis for the Gunners.

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Two Goalkeepers Chelsea Can Look At

The goalkeeping department at Chelsea has been one of the problem areas for the club since Thibaut Courtois left the club in the summer of 2018 to join Real Madrid.

The club brought in Kepa Arrizabalaga as a replacement for Courtois for a world-record £71.6 million with the Spaniard largely failing to impress at Stamford Bridge. Following Arrizabalaga’s struggles for consistency, the club brought in Senegal international Edouard Mendy last September. Mendy has since steadied the ship somewhat though there is debate over whether he really is a world-class keeper.

It would be a good idea for the club to look at selling Arrizabalaga in the near-future in order to recoup some of the funds that they spent on signing him and also to bring in a new shot-stopper to the club who can challenge for the first-choice goalkeeping position. The Spaniard has clearly not been a fit at Stamford Bridge and he should be allowed to go and continue his career elsewhere.

If the Blues want to win he league in the near-future, they do need a world-class shot-stopper between the sticks.

The following are two such keepers that they can look at:

Jan Oblak

Oblak has been Atleti’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper since 2014 and since then, gone on to establish himself as arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.

Oblak has not yet hit the peak of his career as a goalkeeper and whilst he has gone well with Atletico, he may be tempted to play in the Premier League at this stage of his career.

Interestingly, Diego Simeone’s side brought in Oblak as a replacement for Courtois in 2014 with the Belgian having returned to Chelsea following a successful loan spell with Atleti.

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Gianluigi Donnarumma

Though just 22-years-old, it’s hard to believe that Donnarumma has more than 200 Serie A caps under his belt for AC Milan, yes that’s right!

Donnarumma is set to remain Italy’s first-choice goalkeeper for the far-future with 25 national team caps already under his belt. He is already a world-class shot-stopper and may become one of the world’s best in the next few years.

He could be tempted to join Chelsea with AC Milan having underachieved since he broke into the first-team back in 2015.

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Three Strikers Chelsea Can Look At Ahead Of The 2021/22 season

Chelsea will probably have to look at bringing in a new striker ahead of next season. The trio of Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner have struggled to find the net on a regular basis in the league this season.

For a club to challenge for the league title, they should have a striker who is capable of scoring 25 goals per season. Whilst there are good arguments to keep Abraham and Werner in the future first-team plans, the same cannot be said for Giroud.

The 34-year-old has done his but for the Blues over the past three-and-a-half years but the reality is that it is now the time for Chelsea to cut their ties with him and let him spend the twilight of his career elsewhere.

The following are three strikers that the Blues can look at:

Romelu Lukaku

Since joining Inter Milan in 2019, Lukaku has firmly established himself as one of the top strikers in the world under former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.

Now in the prime of his career, Lukaku may fancy a return to Stamford Bridge in order to prove that he has what it takes to be one of the best strikers in English football after all.

He was previously on the books of the Blues between 2011-2014 but failed to find the back of the net in 10 Premier League appearances for the club.

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Sergio Aguero

Manchester City announced recently that the 32-year-old will be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season. The Argentine club legend is past his prime and has since been usurped by Gabriel Jesus as City’s main striker.

Though past his prime, Aguero is still a clinical goal scorer and could have a few more years left at the highest level.

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Erling Haaland

There is a good argument that the Borussia Dortmund striker is currently the best in the world. He would easily walk into the starting xi of any side in the world.

The question is whether Chelsea will have the funds to sign him because he will not be cheap.

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Football Legends Who Never Quite Made It At Chelsea

Chelsea has had the opportunity to have some of the generational greats in their team over their years. Some have risen above expectations whilst others flopped.

This article will look at three generational greats who did not exactly captivate audiences regularly whilst playing for Chelsea.

George Weah

The current President of Liberia, Weah remains the only African footballer to have won the Ballon d’Or award, having done so in 1995 when he played for AC Milan.

In 2000, Weah joined Chelsea when he was 34-years-old on loan from Milan. He scored three goals for the Blues from 11 appearances but the club opted not to sign him permanently. He went on to join Manchester City permanently the following season and was last on the books of Al Jazira before hanging up his boots in 2003.

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Andriy Shevchenko

The Ukraine football legend and 2004 Ballon d’Or winner joined the Blues in 2006 after ending a successful seven-year spell with AC Milan.

He was one of the most feared strikers in the world when he arrived at Stamford Bridge and so there was a lot that was expected from him. He went on to yield a poor return of nine goals from 48 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.

Chelsea subsequently sent Shevchenko on loan to AC Milan in 2008 but he failed to find his feet there as well. He eventually returned to his homeland with Dynamo Kyiv in 2009 where he started scoring goals again before ending his professional career in 2012.

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Juan Sebastián Verón

Prior to the emergence of Lionel Messi in the mid-2000s, it was Verón who was the most feared Argentinian footballer. Verón’s journey in England started in 2001 when Manchester United signed him from Lazio.

After failing to impress at United,he joined Chelsea in 2003. He failed again to impress with the Blues, scoring just one Premier League goal from seven appearances.

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What Next For Legendary Chelsea Boss Jose Mourinho?

Legendary Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was recently sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, ending a 17-month reign in charge of the Lilywhites.

The 58-year-old will forever be a legend at Stamford Bridge after having led the Blues to three Premier League titles across two stints with the club, however, he will now find it hard to attract offers from elite clubs across Europe’s top five leagues following his last two spells with Manchester United and Spurs which were underwhelming.

The following are options that Mourinho could consider:

Retire

Mourinho has had a successful career,  having won league titles in Portugal, Spain, England, and Italy. Prior to taking the Spurs managerial job, he worked as a pundit. If he wants to maintain his legacy as a manager, he could opt to now retire and work full-time as a pundit where his input will be valued.

However, knowing the personality of Mourinho, this seems unlikely. He will be keen to prove his doubters wrong by showing that he can still win silverware at the highest level. He is far from retirement age and could still potentially manage at the highest level for another 12-years.

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Rebuild himself

Due to his legacy, Mourinho may still get offers from Europe’s top five leagues, though they will be unlikely to come from elite clubs such as Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Liverpool.

He may attract offers from clubs with a similar status to West Ham and Southampton. The question is will he be willing to take charge of a club with a modest budget and work towards rebuilding his name as a manager?

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Opt for the international game

Perhaps the time may be right for Mourinho to step aside from club football and venture into international football? If he does this, there will be no shortage of countries that will be keen on recruiting him for his tactical acumen.

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Wayne Bridge Would Love Chelsea To Sign EPL Ace

Former Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge has said that he would love to see the Blues making a move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

‘I’d love to see Kane go there, I think he’s brilliant,’ Bridge told bettingexpert.com ‘Sometimes money talks. If you look at how Tottenham is doing at the moment, I think there’s a great chance he could end up leaving if he wants to go and win something. ‘I’m not sure if he would go, but I’d love to see him come in and start banging in goals for Chelsea. Chelsea has to be careful with who they buy but I’ll be very surprised if they didn’t bring another striker in.’

Kane may have to soon make a difficult decision

England captain Kane has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League and England’s best striker for more than five years. Though he has been committed to the Tottenham cause since turning professional as a footballer in 2009, he has yet to win a major trophy as the Lilywhites have not won anything since claiming the League Cup back in 2008.

With it looking uncertain as to whether Spurs will make the top four this season, time is now against Kane. He will be 28-years-old by the time next season comes along and is in the prime of his powers. He is not going to be getting better as a football at this stage of his career and so he really should be at a club where he can win trophies.

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Kane may just be hesitant to move to Chelsea

A move to Tottenham’s London rivals may be seen as a sign of betrayal to fans of Spurs. If there is one thing that is certain about Kane, he does love Spurs with all his heart. If he did not he would have left the club much earlier in order to win major silverware.

Nobody can really fault Kane for wanting to leave Spurs at this stage of his career especially when you take into consideration the state of his current club.

Should Kane make himself available, there is unlikely to be any shortage of potential suitors from within England and outside.

Some of the clubs that could be interested in his services outside England include Barcelona and PSG. It remains uncertain whether Kylian Mbappe will remain with PSG ahead of next season whilst the same applies to Barcelona ace Lionel Messi.

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Players Whom You May Not Know Were Chelsea Youth Players

It’s well known that Nathan Ake and Declan Rice were two players who didn’t quite cut it with the Chelsea first-team from the youth ranks but have since gone on to have successful careers elsewhere.

This list will look at three former Chelsea players who have gone on to have successful careers but whom the club won’t really lose sleep over losing.

Neil Etheridge

The Birmingham City goalkeeper joined the Blues in 2003 when he was a center-forward before being asked to slot into goals. After spending three years with the Blues, Etheridge went on to play for Fulham in 2006 and launched his professional career at Craven Cottage two years later.

Though he has spent most of his career playing in League One and Championship, Etheridge did get his chance in the Premier League in 2018/19 with Cardiff City. He was unable to save the Bluebirds from relegation but was one of their best players as he went on to play in all 38 of their Premier League games.

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Andy King

King who was part of the Leicester City side that won the Premier League in the 2015/16 season joined Chelsea in 1998 when he was just nine. He left for Leicester City in 2004 and went on to remain with the Foxes until the summer of 2020.

Interestingly, King was part of the Leicester City side as they navigated through League One, the Championship, and Premier League. Not many players can say that they played for one club in three different divisions.

All in all, he made 379 senior competitive appearances for Leicester, chipping in with 62 goals.

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Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson

Guðmundsson trained with Chelsea for a short time in 2006 but could not adapt to life at the club. He ended up joining Fulham that same year and remained with them for two years before moving to his native Iceland to launch his professional career with Breiðablik.

The winger earned a move to Burnley in 2016 after an impressive showing with Iceland in the European Championships held that summer and has never looked back as he has gone on to become a key player for the Clarets.

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John Terry Reveals Chelsea Legend That Never Was

John Terry is perhaps the greatest product of the Chelsea youth development system.

After joining the Blues as a 14-year-old from West Ham in 1995, Terry never looked back and ended up graduating to the first team in 1998.

After spending some time finding himself which included a loan spell with Nottingham Forest in 2000, he found himself involved in the first-team plans from 2001 and the rest was history.

Terry remained a first-team regular for Chelsea for nearly 20-years

Terry was a first-team regular for the Blues from the 2000-01 season and that remained the case until the 2016/17 season which was his final with the club where he was more or less a squad rotation option.

Terry is regarded as being one of the best and most successful captains in the Premier League era. During his time at Stamford Bridge as a player, Chelsea won five Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and Europa League.

He saw many players come and leave Chelsea. Some such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba turned out to become club legends whilst others such as Hernan Crespo and Fernando Torres came with heavy expectations before ultimately flopping.

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Terry was one of the few successful youth products of Chelsea in the past generation

Terry was one of the very few successful youth products of the club in the modern era. After Roman Abramovich took ownership of the club in 2003, the club underwent massive structural changes in order to transform itself from Premier League also-rans into league giants.

As a result of this, many of the club’s youth players were deemed not good enough and were offloaded to make way for more high-profile players with the exception of Terry.

Asked about club youngsters who never reached their full potential, Terry said as quoted by The Star:

“Probably a boy called Rob Woollaston at Chelsea.

“He was like a midfielder/winger, had so much ability.

”He got chose to train with the first team at a really young age, 17 or 18, did really well and Gullit told him he was going to play in the first team in a cup game.

“He then phoned up on the day of the game and said he was sick.

“All of us, if we were sick or felt like we were at the end of the world, we would have still gone and played the game, we wouldn’t have given up that opportunity.

“He actually done it two or three times and he was just not mentally ready for the game, but ability-wise, incredible.”

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Three Underappreciated Modern Day Chelsea Players

Chelsea is a club that demands the best from players so much so that you will more or less be out if you fail to adapt to Stamford Bridge quickly. Modern-day Premier League greats like Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Kevin de Bruyne learned the hard way at Chelsea. As youngsters, the duo failed to impress at Chelsea, ending up in Italy and Germany respectively before returning to the Premier League with Liverpool and Manchester City, going on to become modern-day greats.

There were some players who did enough to remain at Chelsea but did not do enough to be considered among the club greats. These are three such players from the modern era.

Joe Cole

Cole joined Chelsea from West Ham in 2003 and was seen by then manager Claudio Ranieri as a replacement for Gianfranco Zola.

Though he was most adept in playing on the wings, Cole was one of the best utility players that Chelsea has had in the modern era. He spent seven years at Stamford Bridge and went on to make 182 Premier League appearances for the club.

During his time with Chelsea, Cole won three Premier League titles with the club. However, as he played in the same side as the likes of Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and John Terry, he was never really considered to be among the elite players of the club.

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Ramires

The midfielder joined the Blues from Benfica in 2010, spending six successful years with the club and winning every major trophy in football.

The hard-working Ramires made more than 40 appearances in all competitions in his first four seasons with Chelsea, which included a mammoth 62 appearances in all competitions in the 2012-13 season.

He had the ability to score some memorable goals and won Chelsea Goal of the year awards in his first two seasons with the club.

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John Obi Mikel

Perhaps no player is any more underappreciated in Chelsea history than Mikel who spent nine years at Stamford Bridge between 2006-2017.

Though best deployed as a defensive midfielder, the Nigerian played in multiple positions and never raised his temper. His professionalism for the team was admirable.

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Jamie Carragher Names Unheralded John Terry Traits

Jamie Carragher is a Premier League and Liverpool legend.

In his 11-year international playing career, Carragher also got to know Chelsea legend John Terry quite well as the duo often marshaled the defence for the Three Lions.

Most people remember Terry for his excellent leadership

As a player, most people remember Terry for his impressive command of Chelsea and a no-nonsense defender, a type of which is hardly seen in the game today. Terry won five Premier League titles with Chelsea as well as five FA Cups, three League Cups, one Champions League, and one Europa League.

There is no better symbol for Chelsea’s rise than Terry, together with fellow club legends Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He was fearless in tackles, not afraid to put injure his body, and was extremely athletic, so much so that he could pull off diving headers excellently, something that few are able to master.  With his near-excellent passing, Terry was able to command the team well, a trait he seems to have passed on successfully to Cesar Azpilicueta.

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Terry had a knack for scoring goals, a trait rare among defenders

He also had a knack for scoring goals and finished with 68 club goals in his career, something unusual for a defender. His knack for being a team player was highlighted in 2006 during a game against Reading in the Premier League when in a freak occurrence, first-choice keeper Petr Cech and substitute Carlo Cudicini were injured, forcing Terry to go into goal.

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Now Carragher has provided some further insight into Terry, which fans may not have been able to see. Carragher was rather humble, even going as far as to say imply that Terry was technically a better player than him.

“John Terry was basically a better version of me,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“He was bigger, more powerful, better quality on the ball as well. He was one who when you trained with him went up a level in your eyes. You knew he was a great player.

“Technically, he’s a lot better than he’s given credit for. People always talk about John Terry being this man who put his head and his body in front of everything — and he would — and we talk about Rio Ferdinand being the player who was great on the ball.

“But we forget that Rio was a great defender and that John Terry was great on the ball.”

 

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Jorginho Raves About Chelsea Youngster Mason Mount

Jorginho has tipped team-mate Mason Mount to go on and become a goal machine due to his work rate.

The youngster has been a fully-fledged member of the Blues first-team since the beginning of the 2019/20 season and was integrated into the first-team plans by former manager Frank Lampard, becoming a first-team regular ever since.

Mount did struggle for consistency towards the end of 2020, so much so that some cited this as a factor behind why Lampard was eventually sacked by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy and replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

Since Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea boss, no player has scored more goals for the club than Mount.

“He works for the whole team. He’s not just focused on goals for himself.

“And that means the goals will just come naturally for him because he works hard, he is always in the right position.

“He needs to keep working like that and then of course he will get a lot of goals in his career.”

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Mount is certainly going to be an England first-team regular

At his current rate, Mount is most definitely going to play a key role in England’s Euro 2020 plans. He is one of the most active Blues team members when the team is out of possession, working extremely hard to eventually put the ball back into the control of his team.

He also uses his pace to his advantage, often using his speed in order to close down opponents who may be trying to launch attacking moves of their own.

One of Mount’s best qualities is his superb passing of the ball. He is also able to use difficult and unique angles as a means of distributing his passes through the lines of the opposition. When he takes possession from players, he challenges the defensive players that are around him.

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Mount has proven his critics wrong

Mount was accused by some critics of being a Lampard favourite but there is no doubt that he has proved those doubters wrong as he has gone on to star even more since Lampard departed the club.

It remains to be seen how he will progress in the future but he definitely does have the makings of a Blues club legend if he can continue to progress at a steady rate.

 

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Football Legends Who Failed To Sparkle At Chelsea

There is an element of truth to the claim that the Premier League is a tougher league to shine in than the other leagues across Europe. There have been quite a few football legends who have not managed to emulate their world-class ability on a consistent basis in the Premier League as compared to the other leagues across the world.

The following are football legends who failed to sparkle in their time at Chelsea.

George Weah

Weah who is regarded as the greatest African footballer of all time joined the Blues on loan in 2000 from AC Milan. To date, Weah who is currently the President of Liberia remains the only African to have won the Ballon d’Or award.

Weah was past his prime when he joined the Blues but managed to score the winner on debut against Tottenham Hotspur.

Though he scored three goals in 11 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, then manager Gianluca Vialli opted against making his contract permanent. Weah subsequently joined newly promoted Manchester City the following season.

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Andriy Shevchenko

The Ukraine football legend and 2004 Ballon D’or winner joined the Blues in 2006 following a successful spell with AC Milan which saw him win the Serie A and Champions League.

In three years at Chelsea, Shevchenko went on to net just 22 times in all competitions from 77 appearances. He showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately failed to find the type of consistency that is required of a player to lead the line for the Blues.

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Juan Sebastian Veron

Prior to the emergence of Lionel Messi in the mid-2000s, the midfield anchorman Veron was arguably Argentina’s most feared player. Veron earned a high-profile move to Manchester United in 2001. After a failure to get going at United, Chelsea opted to give Veron a chance to prove himself in 2003. He scored just one goal from 14 appearances in all competitions, Veron went on to join Inter Milan and then Estudiantes on loan.

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Who Are The Germans To Have Played For Chelsea?

Chelsea spent heavily on recruiting the likes of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz prior to the start of the season. The duo have not enjoyed the best debut campaign in England so far, though, in their defence, they are still young players and may just need some extra time to adapt to the new country and culture.

Havertz and Werner are not the first Germans to play for the Blues.

The others are:

Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger joined the Blues from Roma in 2017. He has been a success in his time at Stamford Bridge and helped the club win a FA Cup and Europa League.

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Andre Schürrle

The 2014 World Cup winner joined the Blues in 2013 from Bayer Leverkusen. He was a first-team regular in his first season at the club, helping the Blues to land the Premier League title.

However, he fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge the following campaign before returning to Germany with VFL Wolfsburg. Schürrle was unable to replicate the consistency which saw him become so highly rated in his early 20’s. He was last on the books of Spartak Moscow and ended up retiring from football in 2020, aged just 29.

Marko Marin

Like Schürrle, Marin was highly-rated as a youth before never quite living up to his potential. He joined the Blues in 2012 from Werder Bremen. He would remain on the books of the Blues for four years, serving loan spells in Turkey, Italy, and Spain.

The playmaker is currently a free agent. Aged 32, he was last on the books of Saudi club Al-Raed.

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Michael Ballack

After success with Bayern Munch, the German midfield dynamo joined Chelsea in 2006 at the age of 30. He went on to spend four successful years with the club, helping it to one Premier League title, three FA Cups, and one League Cup.

Ballack left the Blues in the summer of 2012, returning to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen. He retired from football in 2012.

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Robert Huth

Huth had a rather interesting career. Though born in East Germany, the former German international spent his entire professional career in England. The former centre-back joined the Stamford Bridge club from FC Union Berlin in 2001 before graduating to the first team in 2002.

Though mainly a squad rotation option during his time with the Blues, Huth helped the club win two Premier League titles. He left the Blues in 2006 and joined Middlesbrough before having spells with Stoke City and Leicester City.

The highlight of Huth’s career was in 2015-16 as he was a key part of the Leicester team which claimed the Premier League.

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Sebastian Kneißl

Kneißl is definitely the most unknown player in this list and spent five years on the books of the Blues, though he never made a competitive league appearance for the club.

After leaving Chelsea in 2005, he had  spells with lower league teams in England and Germany and a loan spell with Westerlo.

He retired from professional football in 2013, having last been on the books of German club SV Heimstetten.

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Americans Who Have Played For Chelsea

The United States men’s national team may be a sleeping giant. After having struggled to exert itself on the international scene, the “land of opportunity” is currently churning out players who are not only capable of but also playing for Europe’s biggest players.

During the days of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, American players playing for elite clubs were a dime a dozen.

Christian Pulisic has been the most high-profile American to have played for the Blues and many will be mistaken to think that he is the only American to have played at Stamford Bridge.

However there have been two others and in all probability, more will come in the future.

Here are the two other Americans apart from Pulisic who have called Stamford Bridge home.

Matt Miazga

After impressing in Major League Soccer for the New York Red Bulls, the United States defender earned a move to Stamford Bridge in January 2016.

Chelsea had to make do without the services of Gary Cahill and John Terry for a Premier League game against Aston Villa in April 2016 which resulted in Miazga being handed his English top-flight debut.  The West London club went on to win that match 4-0.

After looking solid on debut, Miazga was selected for the Blues following league clash against Swansea City but ended up being substituted at half-time.

Now on loan with Anderlecht in Belgium, Miazga has since made no Premier League appearances for Chelsea. His contract with the club ends next summer and he will likely be released.

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Kyle Scott

A youth product of the Chelsea development system, Scott spent ten years with the club though he went on to make just one first-team appearance-making his debut in a 4-0 FA Cup triumph over Hull City in February 2018.

After joining Newcastle, Scott has failed to make the Magpies first-team and been used in their reserve games.

The 23-year-old has had an interesting youth international career. He represented England at U16 level, Republic of Ireland at U17 level and the United States at U18 and U20 level.

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Three Former Chelsea Players Who Betrayed The Club

Michael Owen may have been one of Liverpool’s best youth products and was adored by the Anfield club’s fans as a young striker.

However, it’s safe to say that the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner will not be considered a legend in the eyes of most Reds fans. He forced through a transfer to Real Madrid in 2004. Owen further insulted Liverpool fans in 2009 when he opted to sign for their arch-rivals Manchester United in 2009 after his contract with Newcastle ended.

The following are three players who insulted Chelsea in a similar way to how Owen insulted Liverpool.

Oscar

Oscar shocked the football world in 2017 when he opted to join Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG where he has remained ever since. The South American was a mainstay in the Blues starting xi during his five years at the club between 2012-17, helping it to win two Premier League titles, one League Cup and one Europa League.

By signing for the Chinese club in the prime of his powers, Oscar also sacrificed his international career with Brazil and he has not represented his country since 2015.

Though Oscar’s decision seems bizarre, he can also be considered a genius. The money that he is earning in China means that he won’t have to stress for funds after retirement.

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Diego Costa

The Brazilian-born Spanish striker joined Chelsea in 2014 from Atletico Madrid and was expected to be the heir to club legend Didier Drogba. Costa showed class at Stamford Bridge as he went on to score 52 Premier League goals from 89 appearances for the club.

Chelsea fans would have been relieved as karma appears to have caught up with Costa. His return to Atletico failed to yield success and ended on bitter terms in December 2020.

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Eden Hazard

During a seven-year spell with Chelsea, Hazard managed to become one of the best playmakers in English and world football.

He left Chelsea to join Real Madrid in order to take his career to the next level and win the Champions League, something which he failed to do at Chelsea.

Karma also appears to have caught up with the Belgian. He has been a shadow of the player that he was for Chelsea at Los Blancos.

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