Chelsea targeting £70m Premier League star

Chelsea have not wasted much time during the summer transfer window as Todd Boehly and his team have worked hard to make additions to the squad.

Marc Guiu, Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, Renato Veiga, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have all been snapped up to bolster Enzo Maresca’s options across the pitch, although Kellyman, Veiga, and Guiu are younger players who may be viewed as long-term options.

The Blues missed out on a top four finish in the Premier League and failed to win any major trophies during the 2023/24 campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, who was consequently removed from his post at Stamford Bridge.

They should now be hoping for better success on the pitch this time around under Maresca, who won the Championship title with Leicester City last term.

One area they may still have to dip into the market to improve in, however, is the forward department as Chelsea underperformed their xG last season, scoring 76 goals from 80.18 xG.

With this in mind, the London-based outfit’s reported interest in a striker from one of their Premier League rivals this summer makes a lot of sense.

Chelsea’s interest in Premier League star

According to GOAL, Chelsea are one of the clubs ‘believed’ to be keen on a potential swoop to sign Manchester City centre-forward Julian Alvarez before the end of the transfer window.

The report claims that the Blues and French giants Paris Saint-Germain are both in the running to land the Argentina international to bolster their respective forward lines.

It adds that they would have to splash out a fee of £70m to secure his services, though, and it remains to be seen whether either side would be willing to pay that price.

GOAL also references a recent report from Spanish outlet El Chiringuito, which claimed that Alvarez asked to leave City ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The former River Plate star has turned down the chance to sign a contract extension with the Premier League champions and is now seeking an exit from The Etihad.

Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, has claimed that City will sit down to speak with the player’s representatives this month to discuss his future, as the young sensation wants to play more.

The Italian journalist added that the Cityzens are not eager to cash in on the Argentine marksman, though, and it remains to be seen whether or not that stance can be changed.

If Chelsea can convince City to part ways with Alvarez, possibly for the £70m fee mentioned by GOAL, then Maresca could land a lethal partner for Cole Palmer to play with next season.

Cole Palmer’s outstanding creativity

The Blues swooped to sign the attacking midfielder, ironically, from Pep Guardiola’s side last summer and could repeat that trick with a deal for the Argentina international.

Palmer enjoyed a sensational debut season at Stamford Bridge with a consistent stream of outstanding attacking performances from a wing or number ten position.

The left-footed star’s goalscoring prowess was on display for all to see. He scored 22 goals from 18.21 xG across 29 starts in the Premier League under Pochettino, which shows that the young whiz can find the back of the net regularly at an efficient rate.

While the focus may, understandably, have been on his terrific ability to score goals week-in-week-out for the London giants, his creativity was also exceptional.

Palmer ranked within the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Men’s Top 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.38), and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.57).

This shows that he has been one of the most creative players in Europe over the last year, thanks to his ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates.

As you can see in the table above, Palmer created an eye-catching 17 ‘big chances’ in 34 appearances in the Premier League last season, one every other game on average.

However, his fellow attackers only found the back of the net from 11 of the chances that he created and Chelsea now appear to be on the search for a striker to make more of those opportunities.

Why Chelsea should sign Julian Alvarez

The Blues should swoop to sign the Argentine star as his goalscoring record since his move to Manchester City suggests that the potential is there for him to be a lethal scorer for the Blues.

He racked up nine goals in 13 starts in his first Premier League season with the club before producing a return of 11 goals in 31 starts last term.

The 24-year-old star, who was once hailed as “sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has plundered 36 goals and 18 assists in 103 games for City in all competitions, including eight in 17 Champions League outings.

He played 29 games as an attacking midfielder or second striker for the Cityzens last term and was at his best in the 2022/23 campaign when the majority of his appearances came as a striker.

The forward ended that season with a fantastic return of 17 goals and five assists in 23 starts in all competitions, which included 12 goals from 9.37 xG in the Premier League and Champions League combined.

This shows that the potential is there for him to be a reliable goalscorer and finisher if Chelsea bring him in to play week-in-week-out in his favoured position, rather than either being a bit-part player as a striker or a regular starter in the hole behind Erling Haaland.

As you can see in the table above, Alvarez also offered quality as a creator for City in the Premier League last season, whilst being reliable as a passer.

This means that he could, potentially, provide Palmer with chances to add to his already-impressive goalscoring record in a Chelsea shirt, whilst also having the finishing quality to be a lethal partner for the England international.