Didier Drogba is one of the modern-day icons of Chelsea football club, scoring 147 times in his 344 appearances for the Blues.
The Ivorian joined the club from Marseille back in 2004, as an unknown quantity, but departed Stamford Bridge as one of the Premier League’s best-ever strikers.
He enjoyed many memorable moments at the club, but undoubtedly, his best was in the Champions League triumph back in 2012, where he scored the crucial goal before slotting home the winning goal in the shootout.
However, the club have struggled to find a similar out-and-out centre forward since his departure back in 2015, with new boss Enzo Maresca the next manager to be tasked with the job of finding a new talisman.
Endless players have been linked with a move to the club this summer, but one stands out with Todd Boehly potentially needing to invest big money once more ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Chelsea could sign £100m talent this summer
During the off-season, Chelsea have been linked with a move to sign Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, but the Magpies are desperately wanting to keep hold of their star man.
The interest is hardly a surprise given his record of 21 Premier League goals in 27 outings, but any deal would set Maresca’s side back at least £100m this summer.
His goals have massively helped the Magpies in recent seasons, helping them secure Champions League football for the first time in 20 years, giving Eddie Howe’s side the added goal threat they’ve been craving.
The Blues now found themselves in the same situation, needing a proven goalcscorer to take them back to where they once were, with Isak’s ability to find the back of the net undoubtedly improving the forward line.
Although it would cost a huge sum to prise him away from Newcastle, it would be a worthwhile investment, especially when considering his stats from 2023/24 alongside Chelsea’s current centre-forward.
How Isak compares to Chelsea’s current centre-forwards
Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson joined the Blues in a deal worth up to £30m last summer, scoring 14 goals in his debut Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge.
It was certainly an impressive first season for the former Villarreal ace, but he was unable to match Isak in multiple key aspects for a centre-forward.
The “world-class” Swede, as described by one scout and Eddie Howe, contributed with more goal contributions and also a higher shot-on-target accuracy than the Chelsea forward.
| How Isak & Jackson compare per 90 in the PL (2023/24) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | Isak | Jackson |
| Games played | 30 | 35 |
| Goals + assists | 23 | 19 |
| Progressive carries | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Shot on target percentage | 50% | 48% |
| Take-on percentage | 57% | 51% |
| Shots taken | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Stats via FBref | ||
Isak also completed more take-ons and averaged more shots per 90, giving him more frequent opportunities in the final third – helping him register his higher goal tally in 2023/24.
The Newcastle man is a very similar style of player to Drogba, with his ability to create a goal out of nothing with his brilliant ball-striking ability and close control to ghost past defenders.
As previously mentioned, the lack of a focal point at Stamford Bridge has been evident in recent times, with no one able to fill the boots of fan-favourite Drogba.
However, in a game where goalscorers are worth their weight in gold, a player of Drogba’s quality won’t come cheaply in today’s market – with the Blues needing to spend big on a new striker.
Isak is the perfect player to finally fill the void, with his ability in front of goal potentially handing Maresca the opportunity to catapult the club back towards the top end of the division, which is why they must spend £100m to land their new ‘world-class’ centre-forward.
