It is fair to say that the second half of the season has not gone the way that Chelsea star Cole Palmer wanted, or how anyone expected it to go.
The England international has scored one goal, from the penalty spot, in his last 21 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, having scored 14 in 23 games prior to that.
Chelsea's Cole Palmer reacts
Palmer has also only registered three assists for the Premier League giants in those 21 matches, blanking again in the 1-0 win over Manchester United on Friday night.
However, the English magician did create two 'big chances' for Noni Madueke in the clash with the Red Devils, only for the winger to fire off target both times.
Palmer has, however, scored 37 Premier League goals for Chelsea, which suggests that his current dry patch is unlikely to continue for too long, as he has proven himself to be a lethal scorer at that level.
What the Blues are missing, though, is another attacking midfielder with the quality to chip in with goals on a regular basis when the left-footed star is not at his best, which is why they need to find their next Mason Mount.
What Mason Mount brought to the Chelsea team
The attacking midfielder came up through the ranks at Cobham before making his first-team breakthrough under Frank Lampard, having also played for the manager on loan at Derby County.
mason-mount-chelsea
Mount went on to rack up 33 goals and 37 assists in 195 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, before his move to Manchester United on a permanent deal in the summer of 2023, which shows that he provided a big threat at the top end of the pitch.
|Mason Mount's Premier League career with Chelsea|
|Season|Appearances|xG|Goals|Assists|
|---|
|22/23|24|2.14|3|2|
|21/22|32|8.52|11|10|
|20/21|36|6.88|6|5|
|19/20|37|7.50|7|5|
|Stats via UnderStat|
As you can see in the table above, the England international delivered goals and assists on a regular basis for the Blues in his first three seasons in the first-team, before struggling in his final year before his switch to Old Trafford.
In the present day, Enzo Fernandez (six) is the only Chelsea central or attacking midfielder other than Palmer with more than one Premier League goal to his name this season.
This illustrates how much Chelsea miss having an attacking midfielder like Mount who had the quality to deliver goals and assists to be a difference-maker in the final third in the Premier League.
Due to Palmer's current dry patch in front of goal, the Blues must attempt to sign another midfielder who can carry the torch at the top end of the pitch when their number 20 is not at his best, and that is what they are reportedly looking to do with their pursuit of a Premier League star.
Chelsea plotting bid for Premier League star
According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Blues and Manchester City are both ready to activate the England international's £70m release clause in his current contract with the Eagles.
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It reveals that Eze is not expected to extend his deal at Selhurst Park, which expires in the summer of 2027, and that he would like to explore his options this summer, amid interest from a host of clubs.
Crystal Palace do not want to lose the mercurial playmaker, who scored the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday, and this means that Chelsea and Man City will have to pay his release clause, which this report claims they are willing to do.
Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
It remains to be seen when the Blues will officially make their offer to pay the £70m clause, but if they can win the race for the English star's signature then they could finally have their next version of Mason Mount at Stamford Bridge to provide Palmer with the help he needs.
Why Eberechi Eze could be Mason Mount 2.0 for Chelsea
The Crystal Palace superstar is very similar to Mount in the sense that he is also a diminutive central or attacking midfielder, who can also play out wide, and likes to utilise his technical quality to punish opposition teams.
Eze is incredibly gifted with the ball at his feet and a nuisance to defenders because of how difficult it is to take the ball off him, as evidenced by his 51% dribble success rate and his 53% ground duel success rate.
eberechi-eze-crystal-palace
As well as being a joy to watch, the former Queens Park Rangers man has also proven that he can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch at Premier League level with goals and assists for Palace.
Eze, once dubbed "frightening" by teammate Joel Ward, has scored at least ten goals in each of the last three seasons for Palace in all competitions, including 13 goals and 12 assists in the current campaign, which shows that he has consistently delivered quality.
24/25 Premier League Eberechi Eze
Appearances 32
Goals 7
Goals scored from outside the box 2
Big chances created 11
Key passes per game 1.8
Assists 8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old maestro has scored more goals than any other Chelsea central or attacking midfielder besides Palmer, whilst also delivering eight assists and ten 'big chances' created for his team.
Eze, who scored 11 goals in the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign, has proven that he can make a big impact in the top-flight with his contributions for the Eagles in recent years, which could make him an ideal signing for the Blues this summer.
Rather than taking a gamble on a big-money signing from abroad, Chelsea could almost guarantee goals by signing Eze, because he has already shown that he can do it in England.
Therefore, Enzo Maresca could have his own version of Mount, an English goalscoring attacking midfielder, if the club can wrap up a deal for the Palace star, who could come in to provide goalscoring relief for Palmer next season and beyond.
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