Chelsea star Cole Palmer has not shown the very best of himself in the Premier League so far this season, with three goals and no assists in 11 appearances.
The England international, who delivered 15 goals and eight assists in the division last term, has not provided a regular threat in front of goal as a scorer or a creator.
Football is a brutal business, particularly when you play for Chelsea, and the Blues may not wait long to replace him if his form does not turn around in the coming months.
Chelsea preparing approach for £115m superstar
In fact, BlueCo are reportedly looking at a deal for a superstar who could arrive at Stamford Bridge as a clear upgrade on Palmer in the number ten position.
According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are preparing an approach to sign Real Madrid attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham to bolster Liam Rosenior’s squad.
The outlet claims that the Blues want to bring the England international to London as a marquee signing for their new manager, because they are concerned that Palmer could leave to re-join Manchester City if Enzo Maresca ends up replacing Pep Guardiola at The Etihad.
It reveals, though, that Bellingham is not currently considering a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu, as he feels that his story in Madrid has only just begun.
The Spanish giants signed the English star from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth up to £115m, and he is valued at £139m by Transfermarkt. This report, though, claims that Real Madrid do not want to part ways with the former Birmingham City star.
Why Bellingham would be better than Palmer for Chelsea
As unlikely as this report portrays a transfer to be, Chelsea could land an upgrade on Palmer if they are able to convince Bellingham and Real Madrid to go through with a mega move.
As aforementioned, the left-footed Blues star has not been at his best in front of goal in the Premier League, with three goal contributions in 11 appearances. Meanwhile, Bellingham has scored four goals and provided three assists in 15 outings for Real in LaLiga.
The England international has scored five goals and racked up four assists in all competitions for the Spanish giants, after a return of 14 goals and 13 assists in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.
Their respective form at league level in the 2025/26 campaign so far suggests that Chelsea would improve their team by allowing Palmer to return to Manchester City and replacing him with Bellingham.
The Real Madrid superstar’s attacking output and success in duels suggest that he is offering more to his team at this moment in time, and would be a hugely influential player for Rosenior.
|
25/26 season |
Bellingham (LaLiga) |
Palmer (PL) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
11 |
|
Goals |
4 |
3 |
|
Shots on target per game |
1.1 |
0.7 |
|
Big chances created |
3 |
0 |
|
xA |
1.52 |
0.36 |
|
Assists |
3 |
0 |
|
Dribble success rate |
59% |
38% |
|
Duels won per game |
6.8 |
2.8 |
As you can see in the table above, Palmer has not created a single ‘big chance’ in the Premier League this season, and has failed in 62% of his attempted dribbles.
These statistics show that Bellingham is more effective at the top end of the pitch and more combative defensively, with four more duels won per game, making him the better all-round player.
![[FBCharts] Cole Palmer Comparisons](https://static0.footballfancastimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fbcharts-cole-palmer-comparisons.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=360&dpr=2 "Chelsea prepare approach for \"generational\" £115m star")
The chart above, outlining their form over the past 365 days, backs that up as it shows that the LaLiga sensation offers more quality per 90 in several metrics, offensively and defensively.
Bellingham, unlike Palmer, is an incredibly physical attacking midfielder who is as willing to get back and make crunching tackles as he is to burst forward to score brilliant goals, which is part of what makes him such a special and unique talent in world football.
That may be why he was once dubbed a “generational” player by German journalist Raphael Honigstein, because he excels in and out of possession, despite being an attacking midfielder.
Therefore, Chelsea can land an even better player than Palmer in the number ten position if they can overcome the apparent obstacles between them and a deal for Bellingham, whether that is this month or in the summer.
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