-
News
- 1 hours ago
Chelsea find their next Drogba: The GOLDEN KID who could become Blues’ next striking sensation
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 25 Sept 2025 09:16 BST
- 5 min read
Analysis
Chelsea have long struggled to find a replacement for legendary striker Didier Drogba, but the Blues may just have found a solution in the form of a 17-year-old Ligue 1 striker who is already turning heads in France.
Mohamed Kader Meite has emerged over the course of 2025 as a striker to watch, with the Rennes hitman gradually building his reputation thanks to a powerful brand of centre-forward play reminiscent of Stamford Bridge great Drogba.
Fichajes reports that Chelsea are closely tracking the teenager, who has three Ligue 1 goals to his name across 17 appearances.
Current ETV
Mohamed Kader Meïté
F (C)
Mohamed Kader Meïté
F (C)
Stade Rennais
ETV Range
€8.2M - €11.2M
Like Drogba, who made his professional breakthrough at Rennes’ Breton rivals Guingamp and went on to attain legend status at Stamford Bridge by scoring 164 goals in all competitions, Meite possesses an excellent nose for goal, is formidable in his physique and boasts great aerial ability.
Chelsea, who will sign Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha next summer, see him as a centre-forward for the future, offering a similar type of target as Liam Delap, as well as a player who is still raw enough to be moulded into exactly the style Enzo Maresca wants.
Who is Mohamed Kader Meite?
Meite’s reputation has grown rapidly in recent months. He captained Rennes as they won the prestigious French youth tournament, the Coupe Gambardella, grabbing the winner in a dramatic 3-2 success over Dijon at Stade de France.
By this stage, he was already making promising cameos in the first team. This led to him winning the Golden Kid award, presented to France’s most promising young professional.
A strong forward who excels in the air – two attributes that Drogba possessed in spades – he has built on that start in the early weeks of the current season, registering two goals and an assist in 113 minutes of action.
In particular, he caught the eye as Rennes completed a 3-1 comeback win over Lyon in September.
“Kader came on with a lot of determination. He was the impact player,” Rennes head coach Habib Beye explained. “In fact, he came on with a desire to decide the match. You could see it in the eyes of the boy.
“He’s going to learn quickly but he needs to be relieved of this pressure. And it’s good that there are forwards of a greater pedigree because I think that’s what he needs to improve.
“He scores goals, but he needs to improve in his link-up play and his movement. We know that if we put balls in the box, he’ll be present.”
Team-mate Valentin Rongier added: “The hardest thing now is being consistent. Everyone expects from him now. He’s showing all of France who he is and that he’s here to play.
“He’s going to make things difficult for the coach and it’s up to him to keep working because the hardest part is just beginning.”
Meite has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €10 million, but Chelsea would likely need to pay far more for one of the brightest talents that France has to offer.
Football transfer news headlines today
Marc Guehi’s Liverpool move in the balance after ACL injury
Man Utd 'lead the way' for signing Ruben Amorim desperately needs
Damning Sesko verdict from Slovenia: Joining Man Utd was a mistake!
Mainoo makes decision over Man Utd future
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
