Chelsea Made a Fortune Selling Lampard’s “Drogba-esque” £34m Star

Chelsea’s progress under Enzo Maresca continued as they achieved a 2-1 victory against FC Copenhagen in the Conference League. With their strong team and the remaining competitors, winning the trophy is expected, and anything less would be a disappointment.

Victory in the Conference League would make Chelsea the first club to win all four major European trophies: the Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners’ Cup, and Conference League.

Chelsea fans are eager for trophies after a period of struggle. Winning the Conference League would be a significant boost for Maresca and the club as they look ahead to the 2025/26 season.

The club has improved considerably since Frank Lampard’s time as manager.

Frank Lampard’s Chelsea Tenure

Lampard’s journey to managing Chelsea began at Derby County in 2018/19. His appointment at Chelsea was seen as a potential future step depending on his managerial success.

After leading Derby to the Championship play-off final, Lampard returned to Chelsea in 2019, succeeding Maurizio Sarri.

Appointing Lampard was a significant risk for Roman Abramovich, considering the experienced managers he could have hired.

In his first season, despite a transfer ban and the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lampard guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, relying on young players.

However, after heavy spending and with Chelsea in ninth place, Lampard was dismissed in January 2021. Thomas Tuchel replaced him and led the team to Champions League glory, with Mount and Abraham, who were given opportunities by Lampard, playing key roles.

These young players seemed to be the foundation for Chelsea’s future under Tuchel.

Lampard gave Abraham and Mount their first-team chances. Abraham initially appeared to be the striker to lead Chelsea’s attack for years to come.

Tammy Abraham’s Performance at Chelsea

In October of the 2019/20 season, Lampard praised Abraham after a goal against Southampton, highlighting his confidence, work ethic, and all-around game.

Lampard said: “Tammy’s goal was incredible. It’s confidence. When people are in good form, things happen for them. And that comes from how Tammy has handled himself all season form the early moments when people were questioning him. The work ethic behind the scenes that gets him in such good nick. He’s not just a handful for defenders, he has good feet, holds up the ball well. He is also getting goals which is brilliant for him.”

Abraham concluded that season with 18 goals across all competitions, including 15 in the Premier League. Rio Ferdinand compared Abraham to Didier Drogba after a goal in the 2019/20 season, a significant compliment.

He continued to develop, scoring 12 goals as Chelsea won the Champions League. However, despite appearing to be a key player under Tuchel, Abraham was sold to AS Roma.

The Smart Sale of Tammy Abraham

Abraham scored 30 goals in 82 appearances for Chelsea. When Roma offered £34m, Tuchel agreed to the sale to use the funds elsewhere.

Moving to Italy initially benefited Abraham. In his first season at Roma, he scored 27 goals and provided five assists, also winning the Conference League trophy with the club.

But his form declined in the following two seasons, with injuries limiting him to 13 appearances in 2023/24.

In the 2024 summer transfer window, AC Milan signed Abraham on loan from Roma. Across 34 matches for Milan, he has only scored eight goals, with two in Serie A, a disappointing loan spell.

In Serie A, Abraham averages just one shot per game, misses many clear chances, and has low passing and touch statistics for Milan.

His current form is causing his market value to drop. Transfermarkt values him at £17m, half of Chelsea’s selling price.

Apart from his first season with Roma, Abraham’s time in Italy has been underwhelming. While injuries affected his last season, he has underperformed at Milan.

This suggests Chelsea made a very profitable decision by selling him in 2021.