While there is still room for improvement here and there, Chelsea have built themselves a sensational squad in recent years.
However, while the likes of Moises Caicedo, Reece James and maybe even Marc Cucurella are all world-class, it’s still easy to point out the team’s most important player: Cole Palmer.
Since joining the West Londoners in 2023, the Englishman has racked up an outrageous tally of 46 goals and 29 assists in 104 games.
So, fans should be excited about reports linking them to another youngster who could be another Palmer-type signing.
Chelsea target another Palmer
With the transfer window now just a matter of weeks away from opening, reports have begun linking Chelsea with a plethora of seriously exciting talents.
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RB Leipzig’s £52M Castello Lukeba, for example, has been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, as has Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo.
However, while both players would improve the Blues’ defensive units, neither could really be described as a potentially Palmer-esque signing, unlike Kobbie Mainoo.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of several teams interested in signing the Manchester United youngster next year.
In fact, the report has revealed that, alongside Bayern Munich, the West Londoners are now “leading the chase” for the Englishman’s signature.
However, there are two hurdles to making this move happen: United’s reluctance to lose the player and the player’s preference to join Napoli, having seen what regular game time there has done for Scott McTominay.
With all that said, while it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, as Mainoo could be a game-changer for them and a Palmer-like signing.
Why Mainoo would be like another Palmer
Okay, so the first thing to say, and it feels pretty obvious, is that the comparison to Palmer is not about their positions, nor is it really about their playstyle either.
Instead, the comparison stems from the fact that, like the Chelsea star, if Mainoo were to join the Blues, he would be doing so from one of the Manchester sides.
Moreover, he’d be leaving the Red Devils for more regular game time and, as Palmer has done over the last few years, is someone with the potential to be a massive game-changer for the West Londoners.
After all, while Reuben Amorim doesn’t seem to trust the Carrington product, for whatever reason, fans were able to get a real look at his incredible talent under Erik ten Hag.
For example, despite still being a teenager, the midfield monster made 32 first-team appearances in the 23/24 season, scoring five goals and providing one assist.
Moreover, he wasn’t just chipping in with a goal involvement in easy wins. He scored in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, in a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United, and, most importantly, in the club’s 2-1 win over City in the FA Cup final.
Appearances
32
Starts
29
Minutes
2405′
Goals
5
Assists
1
Points per Game
1.72
This outrageous run of form led to the youngster’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros that summer, and he didn’t just go for the experience.
Instead, the Stockport superstar in the making played in six games, starting four of them, including the final.
With all this in mind, it’s not hard to see why United writer Alex Turk referred back to the talk of him being a future “£100m-plus footballer” in the summer, regardless of what his current boss thinks of him.
Ultimately, it’s not hard to imagine a world in which he moves to Stamford Bridge as an underappreciated player at one of the Manchester clubs and becomes as big a star as Palmer.
Therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Mainoo next year.
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