Chelsea’s summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko has admitted that Didier Drogba was one of his idols as he started his professional career in his native France.
The 23-year-old joined the Blues from French champions AS Monaco earlier in the summer with a view to replacing Nemanja Matic at the heart of the midfield.
Bakayoko has already featured in six outings for the Blues across all competitions, and he recently bagged his first goal in the 6-0 thumping of Qarabag in the Champions League opener. In an interview with The Mail, Bakayoko revealed that he idolised Didier Drogba, who is regarded as one of the finest players to have ever played for Chelsea. Drogba also forged an exciting international career with the Ivory Coast, although they could not compete effectively at the World Cup with their generation of top-class players.
Bakayoko said: “Chelsea has always been a club I liked since I was young, especially because of guys like Didier Drogba being here. I would make a point of watching their games and I had this club close to my heart growing up, so I’m really happy to be wearing their shirt. I made the choice to come to Chelsea a lot because of the coach and after speaking to him. And I spoke to the people around me and my family. It seemed like the best opportunity.”
Chelsea had to settle for a 0-0 draw against London rivals Arsenal in their most recent Premier League outing last weekend. However, the Blues will seek to get back to winning ways against Stoke City, who often use their physical presence to reduce the opposition threat. Cesc Fabregas has started ahead of Bakayoko in recent games, but Antonio Conte could be tempted to go with the latter to provide a powerful midfield combination alongside N’Golo Kante.