Chelsea struck gold on "sensational" gem who's now worth more than Caicedo

Chelsea struck gold on “sensational” gem who’s now worth more than Caicedo

It has been a campaign of ups and downs at Chelsea this season, although there have been more downs than ups in recent months.

Mauricio Pochettino saw his side blow Aston Villa away with a 3-1 win in the FA Cup on Wednesday evening, but in the two Premier League games prior, the Blues shipped a combined eight goals against Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, for as poor as the west Londoners have been throughout the season, there has been one shining light, a player who has often taken games by the scruff of the neck and fastened something out of nothing for his side.

Thanks to these impressive performances, the star in question has seen his value skyrocket, and he’s now worth more than the team’s most expensive signing ever, Moises Caicedo.

Palmer’s Pre-Chelsea valuation

Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, the list of players at the club capable of winning games alone is currently concise, so the man in question is, of course, the spectacular Cole Palmer.

The Wythenshawe-born dynamo joined the Blues in the summer from Manchester City in a deal worth an initial £40m.

However, the Cityzens initially demanded more and reportedly valued their academy gem at around the £50m mark, rejecting the Pensioners’ initial offer of around £35m.

While that might seem steep for a youngster with just 1481 minutes of senior football under his belt and eight-goal involvements to show for it, it wasn’t.

The then-City-prospect had just played a key role in helping the England U21 side win the European Championship, scoring one goal and providing three assists in five appearances.

He was also highly thought of by Pep Guardiola, who described the Englishman as possessing “a special quality in front of the box that is difficult to find.”

In all, while it looked like a lot of money, it was a fair price, and with how well he has done for the club since, Todd Boehly and Co must be delighted they sanctioned the signing.

Cole Palmer’s valuation at Chelsea

It would probably be fair to describe Palmer’s first season at Chelsea as a roaring success – on a personal level, that is.

In his 27 games for the club, he has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he has been averaging 0.70 goal involvements per match, which is genuinely impressive for not only his first campaign with a new club but his first full season of top-flight senior football.

Cole Palmer’s Chelsea Career So Far

Appearances

27

Goals

12

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

All Stats via Transfermarkt

With the 21-year-old being one of the few players at the club who can be relied upon to put in regular top-draw performances, it’s not surprising that talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as “The Leader of Chelsea.”

He has also clearly left an impression on Premier League legend Alan Shearer, who described him as “absolutely sensational” and “magnificent” with the ball at his feet.

His explosive form, rave reviews and sky-high potential have all contributed to his valuation going through the roof over the last few months, with the CIES Football Observatory now valuing Palmer at an eyewatering €100m, which is about £85m, or around 113% more than what Chelsea paid for him.

This new valuation has also seen him overtake teammate Caicedo, who CIES now price at around €60m, which is about £51m, or less than half of what he cost in the summer.

Related

Chelsea must regret selling 1m ace who’s now outperforming Palmer

The extraordinarily decorated pro has been tearing it up since leaving Stamford Bridge.

Now, that’s obviously a much lower sum than Boehly and Co would ever accept for the Ecuadorian if they were to sell him, but his poor start to life at Stamford Bridge has certainly dented his value, and there is certainly an argument that he was never worth over £100m to start with.

Ultimately, Chelsea have done exceptionally well with Palmer, and while Caicedo might never quite be a nine-figure player again, the Englishman might already be at that level.