Chelsea have signed several players from Dutch clubs in recent years and according to reports they could be exploring that avenue again.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are monitoring PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, who has valued at £30m and has been likened to Michael Essien, as an alternative to £150m-valued West Ham star Declan Rice.
According to the Mirror, the Stamford Bridge side aren’t willing to meet the Hammers’ huge asking price for Rice and the Ivory Coast international is now being considered an option.
The ball-winning former Toulouse man, who moved to the Dutch giants in 2000, would add some bite to the Blues midfield and with both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho’s contracts expiring next year, a move for Sangare could make sense this summer.
With interest in the 24-year-old reported, the Chelsea Chronicle takes a look at seven players who came to West London via the Netherlands.
Players Chelsea have signed from Dutch clubs
Ed de Goey
After arriving from Feyenoord in the summer of 1997, the Netherlands stopper spent six years with the Blues before moving to Stoke City.
De Goey was Chelsea’s number one for his first three seasons at the club, but he found himself acting as Carlo Cudicini’s understudy when the Italian arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2000.
De Goey made 176 appearances for Chelsea before retiring with the Potters in 2006.
Salomon Kalou
The Ivorian scored some big goals during his six-year stay with the Blues after signing from Feyenoord in 2006 under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho.
From 254 games for Chelsea, Kalou scored 60 goals and laid on a further 44 assists.
Playing in a side that contained the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, Kalou wasn’t the star of the show, but he was a vitally important squad player.
The 2015 African Cup of Nations winner won nine trophies during his time with the Blues, and the 36-year-old is currently a free agent after leaving Brazilian side Botafogo in April 2021.
Mateja Kezman
After scoring 66 goals in the Eredivisie across two seasons at PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea spent £5m on the Serbian who left PSV with 129 goals from 176 games.
But Kezman only lasted on season in England before joining Atletico Madrid.
His highlight under Mourinho at Chelsea came with a goal in the League Cup final win against Liverpool. He scored seven goals from 41 appearances for the Blues.
Marco van Ginkel
The midfielder was signed from Vitesse in 2013, but across an eight-year stay with Chelsea, Van Ginkel only made four first-team appearances with the Blues.
Year after year, the Netherlands international, who has suffered with multiple serious knee injuries during his career, was shipped out on loan.
After three loan spells with PSV Eindhoven, Van Ginkel joined the Dutch side on a free last summer.
Arjen Robben
Chelsea managed to oust Manchester United to the signing of the flying Dutchman who spent three years in England before Real Madrid came calling.
Following his £12m signing from PSV in 2004, Robben scored 19 goals and provided 22 assists from 106 Chelsea matches.
Robben’s best form came during his ten years at Bayern Munich where he established himself as one of the best players in the world, and developed a trademark of cutting in from the right and bending the ball into the far corner.
The former Dutch international retired last summer after returning to boyhood club Groningen.
Jesper Grönkjaer
Chelsea signed the Danish international from Ajax for £7.8m and the winger arrived at the club on January 1 2001.
His most notable Chelsea performance came against Liverpool on the final day of the 2002–03 season, assisting the first goal and scoring the second at Stamford Bridge to give Chelsea a 2–1 victory and fourth place in the league, which allowed the club to qualify for the Champions League.
Qualification for Europe’s top club competition enabled Roman Abramovich to begin splashing the cash on top players.
Gronkjaer played 119 games for Chelsea and after spells with Birmingham City, Atletico Madrid and Stuttgart, he finished his career back in his homeland with FC Copenhagen.
Hakim Ziyech
The Moroccan became Frank Lampard’s first signing at Chelsea following the club’s transfer ban, and the Blues splashed out an initial £33.3m to bring the talented left footer to West London from Ajax.
Ziyech came to England off the back of some dazzling form under Erik ten Hag which made him one of the most coveted players across Europe.
From 165 games for Ajax, Ziyech scored 49 goals and laid on a further 81 assists.
His Chelsea record stands at 14 goals and 10 assists from 81 matches, and he has already got his hands on the Club World Championship, UEFA Super Cup and Champions League.