Chelsea Transfer News: Blues Will Struggle to Replace Superstar Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba is no longer the dominant force he was during his prime, but he still played a major role in Chelsea's astonishing run through the Champions League. The Blues will have a tough time finding a player to replace the legend.

Chelsea officially announced today that Drogba won't be returning to Stamford Bridge, according to the team website. It marks the end of his storied career with the club, leading to praise from chief executive Ron Gourlay.

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"Of course Didier has contributed so much to all of Chelsea's recent successes. He has been a consummate professional during his entire time here and as one of the natural leaders in our squad he has been an inspiration to a lot of our younger players."

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The news isn't a major surprise since most people expected to two sides to part ways even before Chelsea shocked Bayern Munich in the UCL final on Saturday. The Ivory Coast international spent the past eight years with the Blues.

During that time, he scored exactly 100 Premier League goals and 57 more in other competitions. His rare combination of strength and poise in front of goal allowed him to become one of the world's most dangerous strikers.

He helped lead the Blues to three league titles, four FA Cups, two Carling Cups and, of course, one Champions League crown. His late resurgence after a slow start to the campaign was one of the major reasons Chelsea was able to claim one more tournament trophy during his stay.

Those are going to be some pretty big shoes to fill for the striker who attempts to take his place atop the Blues' formation.

Even though he played 32 games this season, he still managed to sore 13 goals—none more important than his header to equalize against Bayern.

Nothing short of greatness will be accepted from the next wave of Chelsea strikers, whether they come from within the roster or the outside.

Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres both had their moments throughout the campaign, but neither one is as reliable as Drogba. Whenever he was on the pitch, there was always a feeling that something positive was about to happen for the Blues.

It's going to take a long time before Chelsea finds another player quite like that. That's why watching him walk away will be a bittersweet moment. Attempting to bring him back would have come with a lot of risk, but he's still one of the best players to ever put the famous blue uniform on.

Chelsea will likely spend this summer and several more trying to find the next big thing to fill the void Drogba leaves, and they might not ever find one. Players like him don't come around often.

Someday, fans are going to look back fondly on the Drogba years. But in the fast-paced world of football, the focus for now turns to the transfer market as the struggle to replace him begins in earnest.

After all, thanks to Drogba, they have a Champions League title to defend.