Chelsea have certainly had their issues in front of goal this season. Whilst the Blues are up there with some of the top scorers in the Premier League, finding the back of the net on 63 occasions, they have certainly left a little to be desired at times.
As per Understat, they are grossly underachieving on their expected goals tally. Enzo Maresca’s side have an expected goals of 70.51xG, meaning they are over eight goals behind where they should be this term. Amongst the sides with 60 or more goals, they are the sides underachieving gon their expected goals the most.
Well, perhaps one reason why they have struggled of late could be the form of Cole Palmer.
Palmer’s recent form for Chelsea
Despite Jamie Carragher describing Palmer as “the best player in the Premier League” back in October, it has been a lean few months of form for the England international.
He has certainly seen a drop-off in the number of goals and assists in recent weeks.
This term has, overall, been fruitful for Palmer once again, from a goals and assists point of view. He’s managed 24 of them combined in total, having featured in 36 games for the Blues in the Premier League.
However, the 22-year-old did go on a lengthy goal drought recently. He actually went 12 games without a goal, picking up just three assists in that time, too. He ended the run with a penalty against Liverpool in a 3-1 win.
Palmer’s goal drought surely impacted Chelsea’s struggles in front of goal, but perhaps so did the fact that goals were tough to come by from elsewhere, too. As per Sofascore, Nicolas Jackson is the only other person in double figures for goals this season.
Given Palmer has created 23 big chances, it certainly seems like they need another presence up front to make their talisman unplayable once again. They have recently been linked with someone who could provide the answer to their struggles.
The signing who can help solve Chelsea’s goal drought
So, it really does seem like the Blues need a number nine to help put the ball into the back of the net more often. Well, as reported by BBC Sports’ Nizaar Kinsella earlier this week, a move for one of the most heavily-linked forwards, Victor Osimhen, ‘isn’t being ruled out at this stage’.
The striker, who was valued at £64m by Tuttosport last month, might be just the man Chelsea need to fix their issues in front of goal. He is currently enjoying a successful season in front of goal for Galatasaray, where he is on loan from Napoli.
This term, the Nigerian international has managed a remarkable 33 goals in 38 games for the Turkish club, with six of those coming in seven Europa League appearances. That included two strikes against Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage.
The 26-year-old certainly has an eye for goal, which was also the case throughout his Napoli career. He bagged 76 goals in that famous Blue shirt of Gli Azzurri, coming in just 133 games. The Scudetto-winning season of 2022/23 saw him find the back of the net 26 times in 32 games.
Osimhen’s underlying numbers from the last 365 days, courtesy of FBref, show just why he can help Chelsea score more goals and take Palmer to even greater heights, given all the chances he creates. For example, the striker averages 0.88 goals per game, which ranks him in the top 4% of strikers in Europe.
Goals
0.88
96th
Shots on target
3.36
99th
Expected goals
1.27xG
99th
Shot-creating actions
3.65
94th
Aerials won
4.24
91st
There is no doubt that, whilst the £64m reportedly needed to sign Osimhen is a big investment, it might be a necessary one for the Blues. Palmer is a chance-creation machine, and with the striker’s record and excellent underlying stats, he could be the guy to make him reach even greater heights, getting on the end of all the opportunities he creates.
This seems like a deal that Chelsea need to get done before anyone else can beat them to it. As Statman Dave said, he is “the best striker on the market” at the moment, and the Blues simply can’t miss out.
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1 ByEthan LambMay 14, 2025