Les Bleus: Chelsea continues to scout players from Ligue 1

Edouard Mendy’s move is the latest in a long line of Ligue 1 acquisitions by Chelsea, but why is the French connection so special for the Blues? 

“Chelsea signs new goalkeeper” really comes as the least surprising headline of the year after Edouard Mendy joined from Rennes on a five-year deal. Frank Lampard can at least trust this particular process, especially considering the pedigree of the last ‘keeper the Blues obtained from the Ligue 1 club.

Over a decade and a half has passed since Petr Cech arrived at Stamford Bridge from Stade Rennais, “capping” his time at Chelsea with endless silverware and individual accolades, asserting himself as both a Chelsea and Premier League legend. Mendy has a mountain to climb if he is to fill the gloves of the Czech king. Yet, he is not the only player to take the channel tunnel from France to England and arrive on the Blues’ doorstep.

The Senegalese shot-stopper swiftly followed in the footsteps of Thiago Silva, who exchanged one capital for another, leaving Paris Saint-Germain after eight years of admirable service. Malang Sarr—once of OGC Nice—looks set for a future at the Bridge, as well. But for now, he is subjected to life on loan. The Blues’ back line is beginning to have a serious French league feel to it, considering Cesar Azpilcueta and Kurt Zouma were both bought from there too.

Zouma rose through the ranks at St. Etienne and was on the radar of several interested outfits until Chelsea forked out £12 million for his signature in 2014. Captain consistency arrived a couple of campaigns prior, moving from Marseille in 2012 shortly after the Blues had become champions of Europe. In that same transfer window, a bright young Belgian named Eden Hazard also landed in London from Lille. Unbeknown to anyone from the Chelsea contingent, or the league for that matter, he would become one of the greatest to grace the English game and a worthy icon of the No.10 jersey.

Take it back a few chapters, and Chelsea’s foundations were built from French soil. Didier Drogba, also of Marseille make-up, would become the main marksmen whilst the Blues dominated 2004 onwards. In a blue shirt, he was the winner of two Premier League golden boots and had “that” performance against Bayern Munich. Impressed by Cech and Drogba’s contributions, Jose Mourinho again dipped into the French market by breaking the bank on Michael Essien for a then-record fee from Lyon. Alongside Claude Makelele and Lampard himself, the bison formed a formidable midfield that won successive league titles.

Florent Malouda made an identical migration in 2007. After four Ligue 1 titles on the spin with OL, a team that Essien was also apart of, Malouda then spent six seasons in a darker shade of Blue with similar silverware success. 2009/10 was particularly memorable, not only because of the league triumph under Carlo Ancelotti, but the front four combo consisting of Malouda, Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, and Salmon Kalou. Between them, they bagged 79 goals and a further 56 in 2010/11, all with ties to our friends across the channel. Anelka was a graduate of the PSG academy, whilst Kalou left for Lille after over 150 appearances for Chelsea.

Infamously in 2016, it was Michy Batshauyi’s strike against West Bromwich Albion that sealed Antonio Conte’s debut spell in charge with a title, another who moved from Marseille. David Luiz, a former Blue himself, returned to the Bridge having tested his metal with the Parisian giants, the pair playing vital roles in the Italian’s resurgence.

All of these stellar signings were in the post-Roman Abromivach era, with the owner coincidently having a chateau in Southern France. However, this French connection dates back to 1996 when Frank Leboeuf swapped Strasbourg for Fulham Broadway as a pioneer for the foreign revolution that was sweeping the Premier League. Somewhat of a Hollywood addition—considering he is now an actor—Lebouef forged a fine centerback partnership with fellow countrymen, Marcel Desailly. Thanks to this sturdy base, Chelsea began its trophy conquest, the 1997 FA Cup victory their first major honor since 1971.

Around this period, the lesser-known names Bernard Lambourde, Pierre Issa and Laurent Charvet also boarded the plane to see what all the excitement was about. From Bourdeaux, Marseille and Cannes respectively, their impact was underwhelming, to say the least. Lambourde is perhaps best remembered from the bunch for his winner against Tottenham Hotspur. Issa, on the other hand, failed to play a single match during his loan spell.

One defender who certainly did more than just score against Spurs—he even played for them—was William Gallas. He too was apart of the Mourinho revolution, but managed to tarnish his legacy by switching his allegiances to Arsenal. In return, Chelsea got Ashley Cole, so who really got the better deal?

There have been a handful of other, low profile transfers—Jean-Yves Anis (Rennes), Alexei Smertin (Bourdeaux) and Papy Djilobodji (Nantes)—and a fair few big-name flops like Radamel Falcao and Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco). Regardless, the Chelsea/Ligue 1 friendship still burns strong. Not to mention those of French heritage who have served the Blues army. Olivier Giroud and N’Golo Kante currently wave the French flag, as did Lassana Diarra, Emmanuel Petit and Didier Deschamps, amongst many others.

Whatever the reason for the relationship, Chelsea owes a great deal to its European neighbors. Merci Beaucoup to Ligue 1, from everyone in blue!