Chelsea`s acquisition of forwards continues at a rapid pace. Since the Clearlake Capital consortium took control in the summer of 2022, they have permanently signed 19 wingers, strikers, and attacking midfielders. That number is expected to increase to 20 soon with Borussia Dortmund`s Jamie Gittens anticipated to join, following the recent $69 million signing of Joao Pedro from Brighton and Hove Albion, who arrived in time for the closing stages of the Club World Cup.
This significant spending amounts to over half a billion dollars invested in the attack alone during the three years under the leadership of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. What`s particularly notable is that some of this expenditure felt necessary. While opinions may vary on the specific players Chelsea targeted, it was clear at the end of last season that Enzo Maresca`s squad required a left winger to replace Jadon Sancho, who was understandably sent back to Manchester United despite a penalty fee, and a second senior striker to either compete with or take over from Nicolas Jackson. If Chelsea aimed to transition from Champions League qualifiers to title contenders, further infusions of top-tier talent might be needed.
However, as this extensive list will demonstrate, there are many factors to consider beyond whether the current forwards available to Maresca are capable of winning major trophies. What is the market value for Raheem Sterling, two years away from the expiration of his significant $410,000-a-week contract, whose value has decreased after a disappointing loan spell at Arsenal? Are Deivid Washington and David Datro Fofana destined to be the latest members of a “loan army” reminiscent of the Roman Abramovich era, potentially spending their prime years circulating on loan worldwide, with the club hoping they land somewhere willing to make a permanent offer?
There is a lot to analyze and rank here. How exactly we separate these players is more subjective than scientific, taking into account their importance to Chelsea`s plans as well as the quality of their performances in recent seasons. You might be able to guess who occupies the top spot…
1. Cole Palmer
More than just Chelsea`s best player, Cole Palmer is a prime example of how the recruitment strategy at Stamford Bridge can work. Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart weren`t hesitant to spend a considerable $55 million to bring Palmer from the fringes of the Manchester City squad – a fee they could easily double or potentially triple if they were ever inclined to sell (an unlikely scenario). At his peak early last season, he was arguably the Premier League`s best attacker aside from Mohamed Salah, and even after a dip in form later on, he finished in the league`s top 10 for both assists and goals. With Palmer, Chelsea possesses a player who could genuinely be a star on a championship-winning team.
2. Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson can frustrate supporters at times, but regardless of whether the ball finds the net, he consistently does something essential for top strikers: he gets shots off. Last season, he averaged 3.41 non-penalty shots on goal per 90 minutes, exactly the same figure as Erling Haaland. His non-penalty expected goals (xG) of 0.55 is also highly impressive. The shot chart below clearly shows that many of his attempts are from good positions, with his 0.163 xG per shot well above the Premier League average. It`s also worth noting Jackson`s strong connection with Cole Palmer.
Questions remain about his composure in front of goal and his overall maturity, but it`s important to remember he is still only 24. With a contract extending past his 32nd birthday, there is time for him to iron out the inconsistencies that separate him from a striker of Victor Osimhen`s caliber.
3. Joao Pedro
Since arriving in England with Watford five years ago, Joao Pedro has consistently appeared to be a genuinely interesting player. He possesses the fundamental attributes, and his ability to create scoring chances for himself and teammates, coupled with his knack for drawing fouls, suggests a footballing intelligence beyond his 23 years. Joao Pedro has been utilized across the forward line, which might indicate his versatility or perhaps suggest he hasn`t fully established himself in any one role. Consider his goal tally: 19 in the last two Premier League seasons sounds good, but nine of those were penalties. If judged purely as a striker, he excels in many non-striker-specific areas like assisting, progressing the play, and winning possession. Compared to wingers, he takes plenty of shots. Having a versatile forward is beneficial for a squad, perhaps just not at a cost of $70 million.
Evidently, it didn`t take long to reach the players with question marks surrounding them…
4. Liam Delap
Another player whose long-term potential is hard to predict, Liam Delap performed well last season for an Ipswich side that ultimately faced relegation. In addition to scoring 12 goals, he demonstrated a strong work rate in the central forward position. Being generous, he averaged eight shots per 100 touches last season, a figure higher than anyone else in the current Chelsea squad except Jackson. The raw talent is clearly present, and he has performed commendably in the Club World Cup. However, is he realistically capable of stepping up to be the starting number nine for a title-challenging team?
5. Jamie Gittens
The only player on this list not yet officially a Chelsea player, Gittens is expected to finalize his move from Borussia Dortmund after the Club World Cup concludes. Upon his arrival, he will provide Maresca`s attack with a valuable burst of speed and a genuine ability to bypass defenders. In the transition-focused Bundesliga, Gittens looked devastating, but his eight goals came from an expected goals figure of just 3.6. To truly thrive in England, he will need to improve both as a creator and a finisher. At $76.1 million, this signing appears to be a gamble, but Gittens shoots well and can be gradually integrated into the side as a third attacking option in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This move could potentially pay off handsomely.
6. Noni Madueke
Based purely on talent, Madueke could be placed as high as third. The young winger seemed poised to make a significant breakthrough last season, with his tally of 11 goals and four assists arguably not fully reflecting the consistency with which the 23-year-old got himself into dangerous positions. Averaging three and a half shots per 90 minutes is an excellent indicator for a winger, especially when he isn`t padding stats with speculative long-range efforts. If Madueke continues on the path he was on in the 2024-25 season, he has the potential to become one of the Premier League`s top attackers in the near future.
It`s curious, then, that Chelsea appears willing to consider moving him on to facilitate recruitment elsewhere. Their aim should be to roughly double their investment, and if they achieve that, it would be hard to argue against the signing being a success. However, if you have developed a player to the point where they are on the cusp of becoming a genuinely dangerous Premier League attacker, surely it makes sense to reap the benefits of that development yourself?
7. Pedro Neto
After securing Pedro Neto with a deal exceeding $70 million, outbidding their rivals, Chelsea received more than they could have reasonably hoped for in one critical area: playing time. His 44 appearances in all competitions surpassed his total over the previous two years combined with Wolves, suggesting that Neto`s primary issue wasn`t a lack of match fitness. Rather, he simply doesn`t deliver end product as consistently as he should. His six goals came from a relatively low 3.8 expected goals (xG). A combined expected goals and expected assists (xG+xA) per 90 minutes of just 0.33 in the Premier League is simply not up to the standard Chelsea should demand.
8. Estevao Willian
It is, of course, impossible to predict how the 18-year-old will perform when he moves from Brazil to England this summer. However, at a very young age, he was dominating in his home country, scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists in his age-16 season with Palmeiras. For now, it`s uncertain how Estevao Willian will adapt to life in London, but his promising display against Porto in the Club World Cup offers a positive sign for his future across the Atlantic.
9. Tyrique George
One of the positive outcomes of Chelsea`s participation in the Conference League was the valuable senior game time it provided for Tyrique George. By the end of the season, he was successfully translating his minutes with the reserve squad into a super-sub role in the Premier League. Reports suggest the 19-year-old may go out on loan this summer, which seems a sensible move given that he appears ready for the regular game time Maresca might not be able to offer him.
10. Christopher Nkunku
If a suitable offer arrives, it seems likely that Christopher Nkunku will leave Chelsea. Last season proved to be an unfortunate one for the former Bundesliga player of the season. Given the mixed transfer record under the current ownership, it`s tempting to search for flaws that could have been identified when the 27-year-old was signed. However, in all likelihood, this was simply a case of Nkunku suffering an injury just as he seemed poised for a major season, and Cole Palmer subsequently establishing himself in the number 10 role.
11. Marc Guiu
There`s no denying that Marc Guiu was simply too good for teams like Shamrock Rovers, Astana, and the rest of the competition in the Conference League. What this means for his long-term future as a central forward at Chelsea will probably only become clear after he spends a season or two out on loan. Nevertheless, as a $7 million signing, there is relatively little risk for the Blues regarding the 19-year-old`s development.
12. Kendry Paez
Another player whose impact on the Chelsea first team remains to be seen. Kendry Paez is expected to spend next season on loan at Strasbourg, which will be a first step into European football for the attacking midfielder who holds records for being both the youngest debutant and youngest scorer in Ecuador`s top flight.
13. Carney Chukwuemeka
Some might argue that Carney Chukwuemeka is included on this list merely to reach the neat total of 20 players. To that, we`ll borrow a famous quote: “I prefer not to speak.” If I were to comment, I would point out that he plays the same attacking midfield position as Palmer, so he certainly counts.
Regarding Chukwuemeka as a player, the glimpses seen in a Chelsea shirt suggest a prospect with genuine talent, whose early career has been hampered by injuries. The club would ideally prefer to sell the former Aston Villa player but may have to settle for another year of loaning him out. Borussia Dortmund is reportedly more open to bringing him back to Germany temporarily than meeting Chelsea`s permanent transfer demands.
14. Armando Broja
Armando Broja has been a member of that `loan army` for some time now, not helped by somewhat unrealistic valuations like the reported $68.5 million Chelsea supposedly wanted for him in January 2024. In 331 Premier League minutes while on loan at Everton last season, Broja managed only four shots. It`s difficult to see the Blues securing a significant fee for him this summer.
15. Omari Kellyman
There`s an argument to be made for not including Kellyman on this list, given a hamstring injury last season deprived him of the chance to either go on loan, feature in the Conference League, or gain minutes with the youth teams. However, Chelsea did spend $26 million on him last summer. That kind of money is typically associated with a first-team prospect, even if it`s not yet certain whether they acquired a player who can truly impact their senior squad.
16. David Datro Fofana
When Chelsea acquired Fofana, it seemed their scouts had unearthed a gem in Norway. However, three loan spells have passed without much notable success; he spent the latter half of last season nursing a knee injury. The club will be fortunate to find a long-term buyer for Fofana.
17. Deivid Washington
Let`s see how things are progressing for Deivid Washington, who was given an opportunity to build form back in his native Brazil with Santos…
…Evidently, not very well.
18. Raheem Sterling
It`s not that these final three players are less talented than those ranked above them, nor is it entirely impossible to imagine them forging a future career at Chelsea. However, it`s close to impossible, particularly in Sterling`s situation.
Perhaps a Premier League club might take a chance on Sterling, gambling that his issues at Arsenal weren`t due to a decline in physical ability but simply a lack of sufficient playing time to maintain sharpness. One could potentially picture him in the red and blue of Crystal Palace or the white of Fulham if he were willing to accept a reduced salary next season. On the other hand, his struggles in North London truly did suggest that Sterling`s speed had diminished, indicating he had hit a significant downward curve in his career trajectory even before joining Chelsea.
19. Joao Felix
Among these final three players, Joao Felix`s continued presence on the roster is perhaps the most perplexing. The club observed him closely during the latter half of the 2022-23 season, where a charitable assessment would acknowledge his talent but also suggest he wasn`t a player wise to commit significant long-term funds to.
Yet, Chelsea did exactly that ten months ago, seemingly as a financial maneuver that would allow them to sell the perfectly useful Conor Gallagher. Now, they are committed to Felix for another six years unless they can find a buyer. Perhaps a Saudi Arabian club might rescue them, and perhaps that`s an appealing option for Felix too. If not, it`s difficult to see what easy solutions are available to Chelsea beyond a continuous cycle of subsidized loan deals.
20. Mykhailo Mudryk
While Chelsea might find avenues to move Sterling and Felix on, even if not for their desired fees, it`s currently hard to envision how that happens with Mykhailo Mudryk. He is facing a potential ban of up to four years following a failed drug test. It`s worth noting that even if he received the maximum ban from the date of his provisional suspension, he would still have two and a half years remaining on his Chelsea contract when he became eligible to play again (though questions would certainly arise about potential contract termination by the club for gross misconduct).
Whether banned or not, Mudryk has hardly been an impressive acquisition since Chelsea committed up to $118 million for him. The Ukrainian winger almost immediately appeared to be a player struggling to effectively utilize his pace, managing only 10 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances.
