Old friends reunited! Chelsea became Manchester City U21 player collector, and three other players Drapp once fought side by side

On June 5, Premier League giant Chelsea officially announced that 22-year-old former Manchester City youth training player Drapp joined the team, and head coach Marescaye was also reunited with his former beloved disciple. Of course, Drapp has more than one acquaintance in the current Blue Army formation. Both Palmer and Lavia have played side by side with him at Manchester City U21.

Drapp, born in February 2003, is only 22 years old and is an active international in England's U21. In the just-concluded 2024/25 season, he played for Ipswich in 40 games and achieved 12 goals and 2 assists in various games, including 12 goals and 2 assists in 37 Premier League games. Although Ipswich's final relegation failed and dropped to the Championship, Drapp's performance was favored by many Premier League giants. In the end, Chelsea activated Drapp's £30 million termination clause and brought him to Stamford Bridge Stadium, where a former Manchester City youth training player will play in the Blues No. 9 jersey.

Blue coach Maresca is not unfamiliar with this striker and can even be said to be well-known. In the 2020/21 season, when the Italian was the head coach of Manchester City's U21, Drapp was his number one scorer. That season, he scored 24 goals, becoming the biggest contributor to Manchester City's U21 Premier League second-tier championship. In that team, there are two generals Palmer and Lavia. They are now both of Chelsea, and the arrival of Drapp has turned the Blues into an absolute Manchester City U21 player collector.

However, there is nothing wrong with Chelsea doing this. In the summer of 2023, they will be recruited by Palmer, who has few opportunities in Manchester City, for £45 million, a deal that sparked many doubts at the time. However, at Stamford Bridge's first season, Palmer handed over a large double-double with 25 goals and 15 assists in 45 games, and scored a tie in the match with his old club Manchester City. Although Palmer's data has declined this season, he also had double-double data of 15 goals and 11 assists in 46 games, leading the team to the top four in the Premier League, successfully advancing to the new season of the Champions League.

Compared with Palmer, although Lavia, who joined £53 million, has not played many times due to injury, she has only played 18 games for the Blues in two seasons. But in the limited time of health, Lavia still showed outstanding strength. He has a tough defense and accurate ball play, which can play a role in connecting the past and the future in the offense and defense transformation. If he can provide a stable attendance rate, he will be able to form Chelsea's main double midfielder with Kesedo, thereby completely liberating Enzo Fernandez and allowing him to display his talents on the offensive end.

Therefore, it is easy to understand that Chelsea has a special liking for Manchester City youth training players, and this is also the most important reason why they signed Drapp. The young player showed in the game the scoring ability, running enthusiasm and professional attitude were impressive, and the 22-year-old was also in line with Chelsea's signing strategy. With former coach, former teammates, adapted systems and young partners, Drapp has a lot of hope to continue soaring at Stamford Bridge.