The last few seasons have seen Chelsea completely overhaul their squad.
While there have been a few mistakes along the way, it would be fair to say the club look like they now have a team full of incredibly talented players.
Arguably, the most exhilarating of the lot has been Cole Palmer, who, since his arrival from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, has been nothing short of world-class for the Blues.
Chelsea-Cole-Palmer
So, fans should be tremendously excited about recent reports linking the West Londoners to another talent who has won comparisons to the game-changing Englishman.
Chelsea target Premier League signings
Chelsea have already made a few signings from outside England this summer, but, if reports are to be believed, the club are also looking at several stars from the Premier League, such as Joao Pedro and Murillo.
The former could reportedly cost up to £60m, and while that is a significant amount of money, he was fairly effective in limited minutes this season, scoring ten goals and providing seven assists in 30 appearances, totalling 2,136 minutes.
Murillo, on the other hand, could cost the Blues up to £80m, but given his incredible performances at the back for Nottingham Forest this year, that once again may well be a fee worth paying.
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson celebrates scoring their first goal with Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo
However, as transformational as these two players could be for Maresca's side, neither one can really be compared to Palmer, unlike Harvey Elliott.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a number of teams interested in the Liverpool gem this summer.
Alongside the Blues, the report claims that Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, and Borussia Dortmund are all keen on the 22-year-old talent.
However, alongside the intense competition for his services, the West Londoners will have to pay a substantial sum of money to secure their man, with the report claiming that the Reds want at least £50m.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Elliott's ability and potential, it's one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he's won comparisons to Palmer.
How Elliott compares to Palmer
In this instance, the primary comparison to Palmer originates from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and came to the conclusion that the Chelsea gem has been the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Elliott over the last 365 days.
Elliott & Palmer
Statistics per 90
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
Goals per Shot
Goals per Shot on Target
Key Passes
Interceptions
Successful Take-On %
Carries into the Penalty Area
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season
The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked incredibly closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, goals per shot and shot on target, interceptions, carries into the penalty area and more, all per 90.
However, the similarities extend beyond the statistics, as the young Liverpool gem, like the Blues star, has demonstrated an ability to play in multiple positions, with attacking midfield and right-wing his most played.
FFC in-text wider Harvey (1)
Moreover, should this transfer go through, then it would be another example of the West Londoners bringing in a younger talent from one of their rivals who's just not getting the game time he deserves at the moment.
On top of that, even though he's had to play a bit-part role at Anfield this season, the 22-year-old "machine," as dubbed by journalist Sam McGuire, has still got some seriously impressive underlying numbers, which suggests that were he given more regular game time, he could seriously explode.
For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues for non-penalty goals, the top 2% for progressive passes and passes attempted, the top 8% for non-penalty expected goals, and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, there would undoubtedly be some risk in signing Elliott this summer, but there was also plenty of risk in signing an unproven Palmer in 2023, and thanks to their similarities, this feels like a risk Chelsea should take.
Chelsea v Legia Warsaw - Stamford Bridge, Related
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The west Londoners could make their next signing soon.