Having just signed a new deal, Chelsea's top goalscorer last season, Cole Palmer, will be aiming to replicate his form of last season, and looking to fire Enzo Maresca's Blues into a Champions League qualification spot.
An addition that could help Palmer, and free him of the double-teaming he could come up against this season, would be the signing of Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, who has been heavily linked all summer at Chelsea.
Osimhen made 32 appearances for Napoli in all competitions last season, scoring 17 goals, providing four assists, and totalling 2,476 minutes played.
However, he's not the only forward in the crosshairs of the recruitment team.
Chelsea transfer news
According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are in negotiations with Atlético Madrid for attacker, João Félix. However, there has been no breakthrough yet in the talks.
Gallagher would move to Atlético Madrid, as part of a chain of events, if Chelsea can agree a deal for Felix, but for now, Gallagher has returned to London after the Samu Omorodion deal collapsed a few days ago.
Felix made 44 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona (on loan from Atlético Madrid) last season, scoring ten goals, providing six assists, and totalling 2,143 minutes played.
How Felix and Osimhen could work at Chelsea
Ex-Chelsea striker, Álvaro Morata, once described Felix as a "special talent" when speaking about him back in 2022, eluding to his ability to pick that "last pass".
Felix has, of course, already played for Chelsea, joining on a six-month loan in January 2023, where he made 20 appearances for the Blues, scoring four goals in that time, and adorning the Chelsea side with his dazzling dribbling.
Goals
0.47
Assists
0.19
Shots Total
3.68
Shot-Creating Actions
3.44
Progressive Passes
3.82
Progressive Carries
3.87
Successful Take-Ons
1.70
Touches (Att Pen)
6.22
Key Passes
1.04
Fouls Drawn
2.88
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.
Felix excels as a carrier, with elegant footwork in tight spaces, the ability to receive the ball and retain possession, and wriggle out of awkward situations to make something out of nothing.
His ability to draw fouls is akin to an Eden Hazard or Jack Grealish, allowing him to win set pieces in the final third, and relieve pressure on his side when needed.
His 6.22 touches in the penalty area per 90 is another good sign, especially if you were to pair him with Osimhen, as together they would average 13.04 per 90. The Nigerian's ability to win duels in the box, mixed with Felix's instincts and tight ball control in the penalty area, could prove to be a recipe for success, especially if you are averaging that many box touches per game.
One of the Portugal international's best assets is his volume shooting and ball-striking quality. Averaging 3.73 shots per 90, which ranks in the best 10% among forwards in the top five leagues, shows his confidence to get shots off and test the keeper.
Of course, with all big transfers there is a big risk, but adding a creative force like Felix to this Chelsea side, alongside a box dominator like Osimhen, could just be exactly what Chelsea need.
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ByEthan LambAug 14, 2024