Chelsea have been desperate over the past decade or so to replace some of the greatest players in their club’s history to keep them at the top of the European game.
Arguably the most difficult individual to replace was Frank Lampard. A midfielder being the club’s record goalscorer is something that is very difficult to replicate.
One of their more recent acquisitions has actually gone a long way to covering this. Cole Palmer is on track to become the top scorer for the second successive season since his move from Manchester City.
Before Palmer though, a number of players were brought in who have been compared to Lampard in the past.
Marco van Ginkel was signed as ‘the next Frank Lampard’
One of those was Marco van Ginkel, signed by the Blues in 2013, a year before Lampard made the move to the Etihad to join City.
Fellow Dutchman Jetro Williams had made the comparisons in his game already to the club legend, exciting supporters that they could be on their way to a top player.
As relayed by The Express, he said: “He had something special about him that not a lot of players have. You don’t get many box-to-box players nowadays, particularly not who can score a lot of goals.
“He was especially good at scoring headers, arriving late into the box. He is the same type of player as Lampard was.”
Things didn’t work out as Van Ginkel would have hoped. He made just four appearances for the Blues, and was actually on loan for the majority of his eight-year tenure at Stamford Bridge.
He eventually moved permanently to PSV after spending three seasons there on loan, bringing an end to one of most underwhelming Chelsea careers.
Marco van Ginkel’s new club in turmoil
Van Ginkel has recently made a move to join Boavista, who currently sit bottom of the Portuguese league with two wins from their first 21 games.
They had been hit with a two-year transfer ban which has only just been lifted, and this led to them making nine signings on deadline day.
Another addition made by the Portuguese club was Layvin Kurzawa, formally of PSG.
The new boys, including, Van Ginkel, could make their debuts against Estrela de Amadora this weekend, with the Dutchman looking to show that he still has plenty to give despite now being 32.
