It's well-known that Jose Mourinho is on the hunt for a new striker after Didier Drogba's departure from Stamford Bridge. Drogba's goodbye was a tearful one, but life, and football, goes on.

But lingering under the surface is the notion that another Blues legend is soon to follow in Drogba's footsteps: John Terry.

The captain has 15 years of service under his belt for Chelsea, and at age 34, it's hard to tell how many he has left. Mourinho must start preparing now for a life without Terry.

Enter Samuel Umtiti, Chelsea's latest defensive transfer target. The 21-year-old centre-back made 40 appearances for Lyon in his fourth season with the club, during which he slotted two goals, three assists and six yellow cards.

Sound familiar? In his fourth season at Chelsea back in 2001/02, a 21-year-old Terry notched three goals, one assist and six yellow cards.

Umtiti is already on his way to becoming a solid defender, and just imagine if he had a season or two at Stamford Bridge under Terry's tutelage to expand his skill set even more.

Umtiti is a masterful dribbler and has a pass completion rate of 85.3 per cent. His style of play fits right in with Chelsea's brand of possession football. Like Terry, he favours short passes, but also averages 3.6 long balls per game, whereas Terry prefers to carry the ball up the pitch himself.

The Frenchman is not afraid to be aggressive and step into tackles. His clearing helped Lyon allow just 33 goals against them, third in Ligue 1. Les Gones finished the season in second place.

In Lyon's unique 41212 formation, Umtiti anchored the back line from the left-centre spot, the same spot Terry occupies in Chelsea's 4231. Playing for the Blues, however, Umtiti would have more space to dribble down the wings and unleash one of his lethal crosses.

In the search for a long-term replacement for Terry, there's no better option for Mourinho than Umtiti. Every legend starts out as a young, promising recruit at one point, and as Terry prepares to step out of the football spotlight, Umtiti could be ready to take his place.

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