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Kolo Toure says Chelsea once had a striker who was even tougher to face than Harry Kane

Harry Kane is seen as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history, however former defender Kolo Toure believes one Chelsea player was even harder to deal with.

The Blues have been blessed with some elite number nines in their history, piling the pressure on any new signings to live up to those previous abilities.

The likes of Alvaro Morata and Timo Werner have failed to make the desired impact, with many struggling in the shadow of Didier Drogba, and the impact he made.

Gary Lineker has predicted Liam Delap could be the first to star since Drogba in West London, however he will not be able to work on this until he is back from his hamstring injury.

Didier Drogba playing for Chelsea against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

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The Ivory Coast international won nearly every honour there was on offer during his time at Stamford Bridge, including the iconic Champions League triumph which followed his winning penalty kick.

Chelsea fans recently saw Drogba’s celebration again in a charity game, allowing them to reminisce on the good times of him up front at Stamford Bridge.

Toure has also praised the impact Drogba had. When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport who was harder to defend against out of him and Kane, the former Arsenal and Liverpool centre-back named the Ivorian as the tougher opponent.

He also named Drogba as a tougher opponent than Carlos Tevez, Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez, however ranked Wayne Rooney ahead of him.

Pafos FC v FC Bayern München - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2

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Maresca’s mission to find the next Drogba

Enzo Maresca has faced somewhat of an issue in the striker position in recent weeks as a result of Delap’s injury.

The Blues let Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku leave over the summer, and were looking to loan out Marc Guiu for the campaign before he was recalled due to their lack of options.

Joao Pedro has been starting the majority of games in the striker position recently, however has shown in his limited appearances for the club that he does better in a deeper position.

The Brazilian is likely going to need to continue to try and deliver in the number nine role for the coming weeks, with Delap expected back at some point next month.

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