Thomas Tuchel throws out three legendary names as he evaluates the impact Romelu Lukaku could have on Chelsea.
Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard plundered trophies for the club and combined to score a total of 36 Premier League goals.
Lampard set up Drogba on 24 occasions, while the Ivorian repaid the favour 12 times to help Lampard on his way to becoming the fourth-highest scorer in Premier League history.
Diego Costa hit more than 20 goals in each of the two seasons he helped Chelsea to lift the title.
Big shoes to fill for 28-year-old Lukaku but with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz behind him, the Blues have scope for one of the Belgian’s supporting cast to make a name for themselves over the coming seasons.
“It would be nice,” said Tuchel. “It's a huge load on their shoulders if you start like this. So you will not hear this from me to compare them to Drogba and Lampard.
“But, let's be honest, when I thought about Chelsea before I even entered the club and had the chance to be part of it, I thought of personalities up front and a certain category of striker like Dider Drogba, like Diego Costa.
“This for me is something that embodies Chelsea. Something that Chelsea stands for .
“There are a lot of comparisons out there with Lampard’s style of play, the way that he grew up and the way that he interprets his game.
“I hope they click together. We will work on it.”
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Lukaku will miss today’s game against Crystal Palace as he is self-isolating but he will hope to strike the kind of terror into Arsenal that Drogba did when he faces the Gunners next weekend.
Tuchel believes the Premier League will relish the return of a marksman with his commanding presence and personality - something the top flight has lacked since the departure from Stamford Bridge of the incendiary Diego Costa.
“Romelu is a true number nine. I see Chelsea with strong strikers, strikers with a strong personality. Also physical strikers - the league demands it.
“Since I've worked here I’ve come to understand why there are so many physical strikers in the Premier League.
“Also why those strikers are so successful. The league demands it. So for me it's a perfect fit.
“He is happy to take responsibility, he has matured and he has played abroad. He has had success in various big clubs. He will take weight off the shoulders from our youngest strikers from our younger players around and I think this is a huge, huge, huge part of the story.
“He does not shirk responsibility and he's happy to make life easier for players around him.
“I think that these players like Christian Pulisic, like Timo Werner, like Kai, will benefit from him being back.”
