The 21st century has been utterly transformative for Chelsea. The arrival of Roman Abramovich’s riches in 2003 catapulted the club into the upper echelons of English and European football, and they have not looked back since.

Across an unprecedented era of success, and as a result of the lavish spending that has often bankrolled it, dozens of exceptional footballers have donned the famous blue shirt since the turn of the millennium, with Stamford Bridge now regularly home to some of the finest in the business.

Below, GOAL does its damnedest to rank the 25 best Chelsea players of the past quarter-century…

John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel went from being considered something of a liability to one of the most highly-regarded defensive midfielders around, as a reliable substitute and rotation option across 11 years of loyal service at Stamford Bridge.

His masterful individual performance in the Champions League final in 2012 remains legendary to this day, as he etched himself into the lore of the club by shining against Bayern Munich stars Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos.

Nemanja Matic

Although he isn’t particularly fondly remembered having gone on to join Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Manchester United, Nemanja Matic was a comeback king at Stamford Bridge.

Having been sold to Benfica in 2011, the defensive midfielder was re-signed in 2014 for significantly more money and struck up a formidable midfield partnership with Cesc Fabregas, winning the Premier League twice in his three-year second spell while scoring some absolute rockets with his traction engine of a left foot.

Arjen Robben

He might be best remembered for his exploits at Bayern Munich later in his career, but Arjen Robben made his name at Chelsea after joining the Jose Mourinho revolution from PSV in 2004, winning back-to-back league titles.

Before he mastered the art of cutting in on his left foot from the right flank, Robben was predominantly a left-winger for the Blues. The fleet-footed Dutchman posed a consistent threat across three seasons in west London, with his debut campaign particularly productive (seven goals and nine assists) despite his injury issues.

Michael Ballack

Surely one of the best free signings of all time, Michael Ballack would become a club legend in no time at all at Chelsea when he became part of an already world-class midfield in 2006.

A majestic midfielder capable of scoring some brilliant goals, the German helped the Blues to three FA Cup triumphs as well as the Premier League title in his final season at Stamford Bridge.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Chelsea’s pre-takeover goal-machine, the Blues’ success in the subsequent years make it easy to forget just how good Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was for the Blues in the early noughties.

After signing for a then-club and British record £15m ($19m) from Atletico Madrid in 2000, the Dutch striker would plunder 87 goals in 177 appearances, as well as laying on 35 more. He remains among the club’s top 10 goal-scorers of all time.

Thiago Silva

No-one expected Thiago Silva to be quite so good for Chelsea when he joined on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain at the tail end of his storied career, but he would go on to become a Champions League-winning mountain.

The Brazilian centre-back’s experience and poise were invaluable in a period of significant upheaval, as the club was sold and Thomas Tuchel was sacked. The Blues got four excellent seasons out of him despite the fact he was approaching his 40th birthday.

Juan Mata

Another of the best bargains in Chelsea’s modern history, Juan Mata joined for as little as £23.5m ($30.4m) from Valencia in 2011. The diminutive Spaniard would take the Premier League by storm, dazzling with his skill and technical ability, and endearing himself with his likeableness.

Mata was a hero of Chelsea’s unlikely run to the 2012 Champions League – one of three trophies he collected in just two-and-a-half seasons, as he made 86 goal contributions in 135 appearances before a transfer to Manchester United that is probably still tinged with regret for all parties.

Michael Essien

Nicknamed ‘The Bison’, two ACL injuries arguably denied Michael Essien a place further up this list. A beast of a midfielder, the Ghanaian spent the best part of a decade at Stamford Bridge and was always a reliable performer when fit.

His highlights reel includes famously spectacular goals against Arsenal and Barcelona, and he would leave with seven major honours, including the 2012 Champions League crown.

Ricardo Carvalho

Something of an unsung Chelsea hero, it’s easy to forget that Ricardo Carvalho quietly and efficiently went about his work at Stamford Bridge for six years before joining Real Madrid.

The Portuguese was a key figure in the Blues’ league triumphs under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006 alongside John Terry at centre-back, scoring a famous goal in the latter to help seal the title. He would secure a further league crown and three FA Cups.

Joe Cole

One of the most technically gifted players England had produced for a long, long time, Joe Cole dedicated the best years of his career to the Chelsea cause and was a true original.

In a seven-year stay at Stamford Bridge, the attacker produced countless moments of brilliance, including a famous strike against Manchester United in 2006 to help wrap up the league title – one of eight major trophies he lifted.

Gary Cahill

What a signing Gary Cahill proved to be for Chelsea. The Blues paid just £7m to take the centre-back from Bolton Wanderers in 2012, and he would go on to become one of the finest defenders in England and a stalwart of the Blues’ defence across seven-and-a-half years.

The ex-England international would leave as a Champions League and double Premier League winner, contributing to more than 30 goals in almost 300 appearances.

Willian

Although his numbers didn’t always reflect it, Willian was a consistent performer and constant attacking threat across seven years of loyal service at Chelsea as a winger or No.10.

Signed from under Tottenham’s noses, he would go on to make more than 330 appearances for the Blues between 2013 and 2020, making 120 goal contributions in that time. He would end his time at Stamford Bridge with two Premier League winners medals.

Diego Costa

Chelsea have arguably never properly replaced Diego Costa, who was the ideal successor to Didier Drogba – it’s just a shame that he didn’t stay at the club longer.

The brutish centre-forward was largely unplayable during his three seasons at Chelsea, posting two 20-goal Premier League campaigns as the Blues won the title in 2014-15 and 2016-17, before his fiery temperament led to his abrupt and premature exit.

Cesar Azpilicueta

Pretty much no-one would have expected Cesar Azpilicueta to become a Chelsea legend when the relatively unknown and raw full-back was signed from Marseille in 2012, but the Spaniard emerged as an unlikely hero.

In 11 trophy-laden years at Stamford Bridge, the ever-reliable defender – affectionately known as ‘Dave’ due to the complexity of his surname – would win every piece of silverware available to him, including an unlikely Champions League in 2021 and the Premier League in 2015 and 2017, even becoming club captain in 2019.

Branislav Ivanovic

A player who seemed to come out of nowhere and had to be very, very patient for his chance at Stamford Bridge, defender Branislav Ivanovic would go on to become a firm fan favourite across nine years at Chelsea.

Brutish and versatile, he was both formidable at the back and capable of popping up with some clutch moments in attack, including a last-ditch winning goal in the 2013 Europa League final – one of eight major honours he secured in west London.

Cesc Fabregas

One of Mourinho’s transfer masterstrokes as the ex-Arsenal man was signed from Barcelona for just £30m ($39m), Fabregas proved to be a transformative presence in Chelsea’s midfield as he won five trophies in as many years.

A classy ball-player, the Spaniard struck up an excellent partnership with Matic in his first season in 2014-15. He played a key role as a deep-lying playmaker as the Blues won the league, collecting 24 assists in all competitions. He also played a significant role in the 2016-17 title win under Antonio Conte, although more often than not as a substitute.

Claude Makelele

The prototype of the modern defensive midfielder, Claude Makelele is widely regarded as one of the finest to ever do it, and he dedicated most of his career to Chelsea’s cause.

Despite their attacking output, Mourinho declared him the most important figure in the title-winning Blues side of 2004-05. He would win another league title as well as an FA Cup and two League Cups in five years with the club as an absolute master of his position.

Ashley Cole

A transfer that will still irk Arsenal fans to this day, Ashley Cole would become a Chelsea legend and the best left-back on the planet after after swapping north London for west London in 2006. The deal cost the Blues just £5m, with William Gallas heading in the opposite direction.

One of the finest defensive full-backs of all time, Cole would help the club to eight major trophies between 2006 and 2014, including the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League.

N’Golo Kante

Arguably the finest defensive midfielder of his generation, and he did it with a smile on his face. N’Golo Kante is loved not just at Chelsea but across the football world as a result of his quality and smiley, humble demeanour.

That didn’t make him anything less of a winner, though, as the tireless Frenchman helped the club to Premier League, Champions League, Europa League AND FA Cup titles in his seven years in west London. Simply a brilliant, brilliant footballer.

Petr Cech

Perhaps the unsung member of a core of players who were absolutely crucial for Chelsea for around a decade, and another man they haven’t really replaced. Cech was so, so reliable between the sticks between 2005 and 2019, keeping a ridiculous 228 clean sheets in 494 appearances.

The goalkeeper would hoard silverware with the Blues, with a Champions League and four Premier League titles among the 13 major honours he claimed. His penalty save from Schweinsteiger in the 2012 Champions League final is legendary and put the club on course for glory.

Gianfranco Zola

Chelsea’s original entertainer in the modern era, Gianfranco Zola was a trailblazer as one of the Premier League’s first flair players. The Italian was already a veteran by the turn of the millennium, but he was still the Blues’ best player until his exit in 2003, coming up with countless moments of technical brilliance.

Dubbed ‘the little magician’, Zola’s finest season would be his last as he helped to fire Chelsea to Champions League qualification aged 36 – scoring 14 times and laying on seven more in the league under Claudio Ranieri. He goes down as one of the club’s all-time greats.

John Terry

Captain, leader, legend. Academy graduate John Terry spent 17 illustrious years at Chelsea and was an absolute stalwart for the vast majority of that period, emerging as one of the finest centre-backs on the planet.

A fearsome defender who read the game expertly, he was first named captain aged just 20 in 2001 and would go on to lead the team to no fewer than 15 major trophies, including that elusive European crown in 2012. He was the personification of Chelsea’s never-say-die attitude throughout that period of unprecedented success.

Didier Drogba

Chelsea’s Mr. Clutch. Didier Drogba wasn’t necessarily always the most prolific, but boy did he pick his moments to pop up with a goal. Drogba scored nine times in nine cup finals for the Blues – a statistic that goes some way to demonstrating his importance to the club, especially in his first eight-year spell.

The Ivorian was already a Blues legend when he cemented his name in the folklore of the club with his stunning header and winning penalty against Bayern in the 2012 Champions League final, one of 12 major trophies he landed. His most prolific season came in 2009-10 as he bagged 37 times in all competitions, including 29 in the Premier League title run.

Eden Hazard

Undoubtedly Chelsea’s best player of the 21st century so far from a technical perspective, and perhaps of all-time. Developing from a fairly raw talent when he signed from Lille in 2012, Eden Hazard would become a joy to behold week in, week out as he terrorised Premier League defences.

A wonderful dribbler who maximised his low centre of gravity and had the vision to match, the Belgian maintained ridiculously high standards across seven years at Stamford Bridge, dazzling in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 league title-winning campaigns and earning a blockbuster (if ill-fated) move to Real Madrid in 2019 off the back of a 38-goal-contribution season.

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard had absolutely everything, and he gave it all to Chelsea for 13 long years. A dynamic midfielder who was the king of the late run into the penalty area, he would score the goal that secured Chelsea their first league title in 50 years and captained the side in that historic Champions League final seven years later. A further two Premier League triumphs and a four FA Cups also fill his brimming trophy cabinet.

The ex-England international bagged all sorts of goals for the Blues, from long-range bangers and audacious lobs to free-kicks and simple tap-ins, remarkably becoming the club’s all-time record goal-scorer in 2013 – despite being a midfielder – as he surpassed Bobby Tambling’s longstanding total of 202 strikes.

A complete player who was fiercely competitive, possessed an undying desire to get better and better and was Chelsea through and through, it is impossible to look past Lampard as the club’s best player of the 21st century so far.