Chelsea want to sign £115m star who could make Palmer even more unplayable

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea, they have invested heavily in the striker department, looking to find a consistent 15+ goal forward.

The Blues have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Datro Fofana, Nicolas Jackson, Deivid Washington, Christopher Nkunku, João Félix, and Marc Guiu, all players who can play as a centre forward, and all players signed since the new ownership came in.

The best of the bunch turned out to be Jackson, who has netted 24 goals in 57 games since joining the club, also providing nine assists in that time. The former Villarreal ace has formed a lovely partnership with Cole Palmer, who is another investment exceeding all expectations of when he was signed in 2023.

Cole Palmer’s incredible numbers at Chelsea

Palmer joined the club from Manchester City in 2023, for a fee of around £40m plus £2.5m add-ons. Since joining the Blues, the Englishman has made 59 appearances, scoring 32 goals and providing 20 assists in 4,708 minutes, being named Chelsea POTY for the 2023/24 season.

Despite playing a mixture of right-wing and attacking midfield last season, Enzo Maresca has looked to fully unleash Palmer centrally, allowing him to float in the pockets, drop deeper to receive the ball, and be involved in all phases.

So far this term, the 22-year-old has made 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in his 1,095 minutes played.

But, there is one signing Chelsea could make to get that little bit more out of their superstar, by forming a dynamic that allows him to further utilise his skillset.

The Chelsea target Cole Palmer will love

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Chelsea are keen on bringing Newcastle striker, Alexander Isak to Stamford Bridge. However, they will face competition from Arsenal, as the sides will look to get the deal done for a fee in the region of £80m, a lower fee than the Magpies’ current £115m asking price.

Kieran Trippier – Isak’s Newcastle teammate – has described Isak as “unbelievable”, and the Swedish striker has certainly been that on Tyneside.

He has made 79 appearances for the Magpies since joining the club, scoring 40 times, supplying seven assists and totalling 5,661 minutes played. So, why would the Toon sensation benefit Palmer and how does he compare to Jackson?

It’s evident that Isak and Jackson have similar playing styles. They look to be involved in the buildup, help their teams progress play via their passing and carrying qualities, have the ability to be an outlet by running the channels, and are capable of getting shots off.

Jackson ranks ahead of Isak in creative metrics, making more key passes and averaging more shot-creating actions per 90, showing his ability to supply for his teammates, as well as himself. This is also proven by the assists per 90 numbers, where the Senegal international is averaging more than Newcastle’s no.14 in this department.

The impressive Swede does possess more natural box threat though, standing at 6 foot 4, averaging more penalty area touches per 90 (5.89), and more aerial duels won (1.05), both key traits Chelsea are looking to add to the squad.

Thus, by adding more aerial presence in the box, it would allow creators such as Palmer to thrive.

Indeed, Isak’s arrival would give the former Man City ace the potential to fully utilise his excellent passing quality, finding clever crosses into the box, and having the ability to mix it up in their play, making Chelsea more unpredictable in their attacking movements.

Palmer has been an excellent goal scorer but this signing could be one that takes him to the next level in the way of assists too.