Without emphasising on the cliché too much, form is temporary, class is permanent and this has been very much the case for Chelsea’s Didier Drogba.

Drogba arrived at Stamford Bridge in July 2004 for a fee of £24 million and it is pretty hard to exclude the fact that he has played a big part in Chelsea’s resurgence in the Roman Abramovich years.

The Ivorian international is nearing the end of his contract with the Blues and the Chelsea forward has been subject to move away from West London. But can Chelsea afford to let their talisman leave on a free transfer?

Despite being 34 years of age, Drogba still remains one of the most prolific goal scorers within the Premier League and with 155 goals in 336 appearances he has proved to be a striking force for Chelsea. The importance of Didier Drogba has never been overshadowed since his arrival, even to the extent that critics believe he is the reason for many other strikers’ demise at the club, such as Shevchencko, Torres and many more.

As much as we were made to believe that Chelsea were going through a transition during the rein of Andre Villas Boas, recent games have proven that the likes of Ashley Cole, Frank Lmapard and John Terry all still have a pivotal part to play in Chelsea’s immediate future.

Would offering Drogba a new two year contract do Chelsea’s prospects any harm? When you exclude his ongoing theatrics and his ability to con referee’s; Drogba has shown in his recent games against Barcelona what a fantastic frontman he is. His ability to ward off players and still produce the most clinical of finishes (highlighted recently against Spurs at Wembley) could mean that his presence at the club could provide Romelu Lukaku with the ideal mentor to learn from as he establishes himself at Stamford Bridge.

Allowing him to leave on a free could prove costly for Chelsea, as their options up front are very limited and despite the resources they have to spend, Drogba’s ability is surely worthy of a few more seasons in West London.

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