Chelsea s No. 9 Curse! Can Drapp break the famous players including Torres and Aubameyang?

Official news, Chelsea signed Drapp from Ipswich, with a transfer fee of 30 million pounds (activating the termination fee), and the two sides signed the contract until June 2031. England striker Drapp is 22 years old. He met the standards in the 2024-25 season. Ipswich played 40 games, contributing 12 goals and 2 assists, and is currently worth 40 million euros.

Drapp will wear Chelsea No. 9 jersey. Torres, Falcao, Morata, Higuain, Abraham, Lukaku, Aubameyang... Most of the previous Blues No. 9 performed poorly and could be said to be deeply involved in the "Collect No. 9". Can new aid Drapp break this curse?

In Chelsea's locker room, the No. 9 jersey carries too many marks of frustrated people. Torres scored a goal drought in 903 minutes in his wear, and his £50 million net worth has become one of the most failed transfers in the Premier League. Lukaku returned with £97.5 million but scored only 8 goals in 26 Premier League games, and eventually fled in a panic. Morata, Falcao, Higuain, Aubameyang... a series of star-studded names are dimly bleak under Blue Bridge No. 9. Even two non-forward players - central defender Bolaruz and midfielder Sidwell - also "came to No. 9" and both disappeared after one season. For 30 years, Haselbaink (29 goals in a single season) and Viali have truly mastered this jersey.

Drapp's choice to take this number is a declaration in itself. The 22-year-old striker scored 12 Premier League goals last season in relegated Ipswich, accounting for one-third of the team's total goals, and two more goals than Chelsea's active center Jackson. In the difficult environment of the relegation team, he took charge of 44% of the team's goals, and his 48 shots in the penalty area were more than twice that of his teammates.

Drapp's style characteristics provide the possibility of breaking the curse:

Running ability: 46.1% of his off-ball runs are in-depth sprints, significantly higher than Jacquesson's 28%. This instinct to tear the defense is exactly what Chelsea lacks; confrontation intensity: the most confrontation times in the Premier League center (413 times), and the breakthrough data of 26 "dribbling after shooting" ranks first in the same position; frontcourt compression: 411 high-pressing ranks third in the league forward, showing a comprehensiveness in line with modern football concepts. What is more important is the fit between people and the environment. Coach Maresca worked with Drapp during Manchester City's U21 period, and the two have the same tactical ideas. And his friendship with Palmer's Manchester City youth training team may replicate a "Manchester City-Chelsea connection". When contested by Manchester United and Newcastle, Chelsea won because of its clear plan of its positioning of "non-absolute main force but strategic value" - replacing Jackson during the African Cup next season, and taking turns to play in the multi-line battle between the Champions League and the Club World Cup.

However, the removal of the curse is not a smooth road. Chelsea's pass control system is very different from Ipswich's direct play style, and Drapp needs to adapt to fewer opportunities to touch the ball. Psychologically, from the core of the relegation team to the focus of the giants, the pressure has increased exponentially - the previous highest-priced No. 9 Lukaku is a typical example of being overwhelmed by expectations. In the corner of the locker room, the No. 9 jersey witnessed Torres' cover of his face after missing the empty goal, and also recorded Morata's escape in a hurry after half a year of change to No. 29.