Cole Palmer has often been Chelsea’s go-to man in terms of goal contributions ever since his £40m transfer from Manchester City back in the summer of 2023.
The 22-year-old has exceeded beyond all expectations at Stamford Bridge, scoring 39 times and registering 21 assists in all competitions after his move.
No other Blues player has been able to match such a tally in the same time period, with the England international undoubtedly Enzo Maresca’s key man – notching 20 of his contributions since the Italian’s appointment.
Such form within the final third has allowed the former Leicester City boss to lead the side to a top-four place with just 10 games to go, looking to secure Champions League football in West London once again.
However, Maresca and Palmer would’ve had a great chance to achieve such a feat had they secured the services of one attacker who was previously on their radar.
Chelsea’s hunt to land Alexander Isak last summer
After Maresca took the reins at Chelsea, it became evidently clear that he wanted to land a new striker, with various players constantly touted with a move to the club.
Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney were two names who refused to stay away, but missed out on the pair, with Alexander Isak another name thrown into the hat at one stage.
It was reported that the Blues were keen on a deal last summer, with Newcastle United demanding over £100m for his signature, but they could land him at a cheaper price upon the opening of the window in a few months.
It has emerged that the Magpies would be willing to let him leave for €100m (£83m) should they fail to qualify for the Champions League, with Maresca’s side needing to stay on track to prevent them from doing so – increasing their chances of landing the Swede.
However, whilst he’s notched 22 goals across all competitions in 2024/25, it’s safe to say the club made the wrong call in offloading a player who’s managed to outscore him this campaign.
The former Chelsea star who’s outscoring Palmer & Isak
Despite being the club’s leading talisman in 2024/25, Palmer has found form hard to come by in recent weeks, failing to register a single goal or assist in any of his last nine matches across all competitions.
However, the same can’t be said for winger Mohamed Salah, who has continuously been a nuisance to all defenders this campaign with his contributions in attacking areas.
The 32-year-old was once on the books of Chelsea, joining from Swiss side FC Basel back in January 2014, arriving in a £11m transfer – but his time at the Bridge would be one to forget.
He would be limited to just 19 appearances for the Blues over a two and a half year period, scoring twice before being sent on various loans to Serie A outfits Fiorentina and Roma.
He would join the latter on a permanent basis for a fee of around £13m, before moving to current side Liverpool in 2017, racking up just short of 400 appearances since his transfer – starting constantly with his ability to find the back of the net.
Salah, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Roy Keane, has notched 243 goals in his eight years on Merseyside, with his tally of 32 this campaign his second-best at Anfield.
|
Mohamed Salah’s stats for Liverpool by season (2017-2025) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2017/18 |
52 |
44 |
14 |
|
2018/19 |
52 |
27 |
10 |
|
2019/20 |
48 |
23 |
13 |
|
2020/21 |
51 |
31 |
6 |
|
2021/22 |
51 |
31 |
15 |
|
2022/23 |
51 |
30 |
16 |
|
2023/24 |
44 |
25 |
13 |
|
2024/25 |
42 |
32 |
15 |
|
Total: |
391 |
243 |
109 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
However, his subsequent tally is higher than those of Palmer and Isak, who have only both been able to register a total of 14 and 22, respectively – showcasing how impressive the Egyptian has been under Arne Slot.
His goals look set to win Liverpool another Premier League trophy, with his goals and assists firing the Reds 15 points clear of Arsenal with just a handful of games remaining this season.
Such form, combined with their success, must rub salt into the wounds of all Blues fans, demonstrating what they could’ve had if they had kept hold of the winger all those years ago.
However, Salah will always remain a case of what could’ve been at Stamford Bridge, with Maresca undoubtedly wishing he had a player of his quality to aid his top-four ambitions this campaign.
Related
Worth more than Neto: Chelsea have a 17-year-old “future Ballon d’Or winner”
Chelsea already struck gold on their “future Ballon d’Or winner” who’s already worth more than Neto
