When David Beckham arrived at the Bernabeu in the summer of 2003 Zinedine Zidane, one of the many stars in that famous Madrid Galacticos team, said, Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine? The iconic Frenchman was referring to the sale of Claude Makelele to Chelsea. In a team boasting the attacking talents of Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo, many were guilty of overlooking the importance of Makelele. Many of the Madrid attacks were started by the Zaire-born midfielder, but his most important role was to act as the first line of defence and anchor the side. His pivotal role freed up the trio of Zidane, Figo and Ronaldo to attack at will without compromising the defence and acted as a great neutraliser of counter-attacks. Claudio Ranieri made him one of his first purchases upon the arrival of Roman Abramovichs billions. Although the Italian was unable to win the title and retain his job his successor, Jose Mourinho, made him a key part of his Premier League winning team, calling him his Player of the Year. Makelele was subsequently voted into the World XI, won the Premier League title the following season and, despite his increasing years he was 30 when he arrived at Stamford Bridge, he helped take Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008. The current Chelsea team boast a semi-resurgent Fernando Torres and the attacking trio of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar. Its been well documented how disappointing the £50 million Spaniard striker has been although the comparisons to Drogba are unfair, especially as the Ivorian only scored four league goals last season but Hazard has also been in poor form since September. The reason I bring up Claude Makelele is because I believe thats exactly the type of player Chelsea need right now; someone who can start attacks, acts as the first line of defence and quashes counter attacks a role now referred to as the Makelele role. John Obi Mikel has been playing in that position for some time but there are still many who doubt he is good enough for that team. Some pundits seem to be under the impression that Yaya Toure plays that role, but from what Ive seen he can only play one part at a time. The position is unglamorous and the players who are in that role are usually overlooked. The best possible comparison at the current time is Barcelonas Sergio Busquets. One of the first decisions Pep Guardiola at the Camp Nou was to give Busquets his first-team debut. He ended up taking Toures position in the team a move which eventually led to the Ivorian joining City. The Brazilian Lucas was first brought to Liverpool by Rafa Benitez and although hes not at the same level of Makelele or Busquets hes still become a very important player at Anfield. His injury last year which ruled him out for a majority of the season played a very important part in Liverpool suffering following a good start to the season. Chieck Tiote is an absolute powerhouse who has been a vital cog in the Newcastle team since their promotion. Alongside Cabaye, who was a steal at around £4 million despite being Lilles league winning captain, Tiote has formed one of the best Premier League midfield partnerships. Despite a poor start this season he was a major reason why Newcastle reached 5th one place above the Champions League winners. Outside of the Premier League the Frenchman Yann MVila has been rumoured for a move away from Rennes for the past few seasons. The under-21 star has been going through a rough patch this season and his behaviour has been less than exemplary, leading to an international ban, but if the form is temporary, class is permanent cliché is anything to go by MVila should become of the worlds best holding midfielders in years to come. In attack Fernando Torres has had a little resurgence but time will tell if it will last for a significant amount of time or at least long enough to prove he deserves a place in the Chelsea team. Daniel Sturridge could be looking towards exiting Stamford Bridge but if the Spaniard fails to score regularly in the coming months the England international may earn a starting spot. Chelseas future striker may even lie at the Hawthorns. Romelu Lukaku has impressed during his loan spell so far and with the added experience the Belgian could look to make an impact when he returns for the 2013-14 campaign. No team in the Premier League this season has looked amazing. Manchester United have suffered in defence due to injuries, their rivals City have not been playing as a team, Spurs and Arsenal have been inconsistent and Liverpool still lack a regular goal scorer to partner Suarez. If Chelsea could invest in a holding midfielder or a 20-a-season striker they could be back on the trail of the Premier League trophy.