There’s no two ways about it; if Cole Palmer can continue to perform like he did last season, he will go down as one of the best buys in Chelsea’s recent history.
The former Manchester City ace arrived for just £40m, and his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge was simply sensational.
Across just 29 Premier League starts, the versatile forward scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists, the most goal contributions in the entire division.
However, there’s the potential for him to go to the next level during the 2024/25 campaign, especially if the Blues are able to sign one particular target.
Chelsea want to sign a new striker
According to a report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea are ‘seriously interested’ in signing Jonathan David.
It’s said that in the past few days, the Blues have made their first move towards signing the player, having enquired about the Canadian centre forward from Lille.
The 24-year-old has just one year left on his current deal at the French side, and as of right now, he can be snapped up for a bargain price of £17m-£21m.
However, due to him being great value for money, Chelsea will face competition from other Premier League clubs, such as West Ham United and Manchester United.
Why Cole Palmer would love Jonathan David
In all honesty, David is a player who doesn’t seem to get the plaudits he deserves, as his record over the past few seasons has been incredible.
The Canadian striker was the star of Lille once again last term, leading the line in a side that likes to dominate possession – averaging 57% of the ball in Ligue 1.
His record in the French top division was particularly impressive, scoring 19 goals and providing four assists in 30 starts, which is a remarkable record.
Only Kylian Mbappe netted more than him in the league, which just highlights the calibre of player he’s putting up similar numbers to.
Goals
0.65
0.45
xG
0.60
0.60
Shots
2.60
2.57
Shots/goal
0.22
0.18
Key passes
1.10
1.22
Progressive passes
2.70
2.15
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
As you can see, David is the definition of a true number nine: a player whose only interest and main goal is to put the ball in the back of the net.
When compared to current first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson, for example, the former KAA Gent prospect is much more dangerous in front of goal, as simply displayed via his goals per 90 minutes.
Last season, the Senegal striker proved to be rather wasteful in front of goal at times, squandering plenty of golden opportunities, hence his poor xG-to-goal ratio.
However, that will no longer be the case for David, as he overperformed his xG last season, which is just one reason why Palmer will love him.
Having a clinical striker in the side can truly take a team to the next level, and David could have a similar influence on Chelsea’s number 20, who created 17 big chances but only registered 11 assists.
This proves that poor finishing on the end of his creativity prevented him from increasing his output, and having a “world-class” finisher – as dubbed by journalist Manuel Veth – to aim for in the box would see him become even more dangerous.
Overall, David is an elite centre-forward who has all the attributes to succeed in the Premier League, and given his cheap fee, Chelsea simply have to move for him this summer.
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