Chelsea have been a club under major transition after the takeover from Todd Boehly back in May 2022, with the playing squad subject to huge changes.
The American has splashed over £1.1b on new signings in the last two years, including a deal to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton for £115m, a transfer that broke the English transfer record.
However, despite the huge influx of new additions, he’s been unable to provide any tangible success, with the Blues yet to win a major trophy since his takeover – something which he will be desperate to end this season.
He’s since hired Enzo Maresca to try and instil a winning mentality after he won the Championship with Leicester City last season.
If he is to be a success during his maiden campaign at the helm at Stamford Bridge, he will be reliant upon one player who has taken the Premier League by storm since his own move to the club.
Cole Palmer’s time at Chelsea
After joining from Manchester City in a £40m deal last summer, eyebrows were raised at the signing of Cole Palmer due to the hefty fee and his lack of game time under Pep Guardiola.
However, the transfer has worked perfectly for both parties, with Chelsea getting themselves an elite-level talent whilst Palmer has gained consistent game time, allowing him to reach the next level.
The winger has scored 27 times since his transfer, ending last season as the club’s top scorer, whilst also ending as the second-highest scorer in the division behind Erling Haaland.
He’s been a phenomenal addition, but he needs support from other attacking players if the Blues are to finally compete for a league title after seven years without a triumph – with the last title coming under Antonio Conte in 2016/17.
The Italian had one player at his disposal who captured the hearts of the fanbase, before he abruptly departed, with the star outperforming Palmer since the turn of the year.
The former Chelsea star who’s outperformed Palmer
Brazilian midfielder Oscar starred during his four-year stint at Chelsea, making 203 appearances for the Blues – scoring on 38 occasions – having even been mooted as the ‘next Frank Lampard’ when at the early peak of his powers.
Arguably, his greatest strike came in the Champions League against Juventus with his magnificent touch setting him up for a phenomenal effort which found the top corner – further backing up that Lampard comparison.
However, he opted to move on out of the blue during Conte’s time in charge, joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port in December 2016 for a staggering £60m – a fee that was too big to turn down but one that took the fanbase by surprise.
To this day, he still remains at the Chinese side, with the 33-year-old producing some phenomenal numbers – beating current Blues ace Palmer in one key area for an attack-minded player.
Oscar has been a pivotal figure for the Super League outfit in 2024, registering 34 goals and assists in all competitions since the start of the season in January, with his tally surpassing that of Palmer, who has achieved a sensational figure of 32 goal involvements during the same time period.
The English international registered 26 goal contributions in all competitions from January to the end of the 2023/24 campaign, whilst hitting the ground running with six combined goals or assists in the new campaign for the Blues.
Cole Palmer
6
Nicolas Jackson
6
Christopher Nkunku
6
Noni Madueke
4
João Félix
3
Mykhailo Mudryk
2
Pedro Neto
2
Jadon Sancho
2
Although it may be the Super League, Oscar’s numbers produced are nothing short of phenomenal, with the Brazilian still having the ability to play some sort of role in the Blues’ current squad.
There will always be a question mark over what could’ve been had he remained at the club, but nonetheless, it’s brilliant to see a former fan-favourite still starring like he used to at the Bridge.
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