Chelsea are eyeing the £70m Premier League star

Chelsea didn't waste much time during the summer transfer window as Todd Boehly and his team worked hard to make additions to the squad.

Marc Guiu, Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, Renato Veiga, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have all been brought in to strengthen Enzo Maresca's options across the pitch, although Kellyman, Veiga, and Guiu are minor players who could be considered full-time options. long. .

The Blues missed out on a top-four finish in the Premier League and failed to win a major trophy in the 2023/24 campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked at Stamford Bridge.

They must now hope for better success on the pitch this time under Maresca, who won the Championship title with Leicester City last season.

One area they still need to dip into the market to improve on, however, is the forward door 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 the striker from one of their Premier League rivals this summer makes a lot of sense.

Chelsea's interest in the Premier League player

According to a report by GOAL, Chelsea are one of the clubs 'believed to be' keen to sign Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez before the end of the transfer window.

The report says that the Blues and France's Paris Saint-Germain are both in a position to get the Argentinian player to strengthen their forward lines.

It added that they would have to shell out £70m to secure his services, but it remains to be seen whether either side would be willing to pay that price.

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

The former River Plate player turned down the chance to sign a contract with the Premier League champions and now wants to leave the Etihad.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano said City will sit down to talk to the player's representatives this month to discuss his future, as the young player wants to play more.

The Italian journalist added that the Cityzens are not willing to get money from the Argentine marker, and it remains to be seen whether that situation can be changed or not.

If Chelsea can convince City to part with Alvarez, perhaps for the £70m fee that GOAL has mentioned, then Maresca could provide Cole Palmer with a dangerous partner next season.

Featured art by Cole Palmer

The Blues rushed to sign an attacking midfielder, ironically, for Pep Guardiola's side last summer and could repeat that tactic with a deal for the Argentine.

Palmer enjoyed an impressive first season at Stamford Bridge with a consistent series of attacking performances from either the wing or the number ten position.

The goals of this left-footed star were seen by all. He scored 22 goals from 18.21 xG in 29 Premier League starts under Pochettino, showing that the little whiz can find the back of the net regularly at an effective rate.

While the focus may, understandably, have been on his incredible ability to score goals week in and week out for the London giants, his brilliance has been impressive.

Palmer ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and defenders in the Men's Top 5 Leagues and European competitions in the last 365 days in expected goals assisted by 90 (0.38), and in the top 8% in shots created in -90 (5.57) ).

This shows that he has been one of the most created players in Europe in the past year, due to his ability to constantly create high quality opportunities for his teammates.

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

However, his fellow attackers only found the net in the 11 chances he created and Chelsea now appear to be searching for a striker who can create more of those chances.

Why Chelsea should sign Julian Alvarez

The Blues should be quick to sign the Argentinian as his goalscoring record since his move to Manchester City suggests he could be a lethal goalscorer for the Blues.

He scored nine goals in 13 starts in his first Premier League season with the club before producing 11 goals in 31 starts last season.

The 24-year-old star, once hailed as a “wonder” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has bagged 36 goals and 18 assists in 103 appearances for City in all competitions, including eight of their 17 Champions League appearances.

He made 29 appearances as an attacking midfielder or second striker for the Cityzens last season and was at his best in the 2022/23 campaign where most of his appearances came as a striker.

The striker finished that season with a fantastic return of 17 goals and five assists in 23 starts in all competitions, including 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 and week out in his preferred position, rather than a small part player as a striker or regular. starter in the hole behind Erling Haaland.

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

This means he could, potentially, provide Palmer with opportunities to add to his impressive goalscoring record in a Chelsea shirt, while also having the ultimate quality to be a lethal partner for the England international.