Alejandro Garnacho had a mixed debut for Chelsea against Brentford at the weekend while club captain Reece James has spoken out about one transfer this summer that stunned him
Alejandro Garnacho looks on
Alejandro Garnacho signed for Chelsea this summer(Image: Getty Images)
Chelsea were a club in transition this summer with Blues boss Enzo Maresca backed to the tune of over £275million to fine tune his squad. Europa Conference League success last term was coupled with the Blues earning their status as champions of FIFA's revamped Club World Cup in pre-season.
Maresca's side have yet to fully replicate their cup success to the Premier League so far this term, thanks to a mixed start. Chelsea remain unbeaten in the Premier League, yet their two victories have been offset by two draws, one of which came in a 2-2 stalemate away at Brentford at the weekend.
A transfer carousel took centre stage at Chelsea during the summer with several incomings and outgoings. Some of the most notable were Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho joining, Noni Madueke leaving for Arsenal and Nicholas Jackson gaining a move to Bayern Munich.
New Garnacho verdict
Chelsea's decision to sell Madueke and sign Garnacho has raised some eyebrows, most notably with former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given.
Madueke is beginning to prove his doubters wrong at the Emirates Stadium, with a solid showing for England during the recent international break, underscoring his bright start to his career with the Gunners. Garnacho on the other hand had a moment to forget against Brentford.
Alejandro Garnacho runs with the ball
Alejandro Garnacho made his debut against Brentford on Saturday
The £40m signing looked sharp when he came on against the Bees. However, he faced criticism for his role in the host's 93rd minute equaliser after appearing to lose goalscorer Fabio Carvalho following a throw-in, and Given has shared his doubts over the Argentinian.
"I’m actually surprised that Chelsea let Noni Madueke go because it looks like they’ve replaced him with Alejandro Garnacho and at the minute you would say Madueke is miles ahead of him," Given said on The Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I think Madueke is going to just get better and better as well. He’s still a young player, still going to be improved under Mikel Arteta I’m sure. He looks to be enjoying his role at Arsenal."
Reece James surprise
Jackson’s loan move to Bayern Munich this summer was preceded by a lengthy transfer saga with the likes of United and Newcastle linked with the star.
Nicolas Jackson interacts with Reece James
Reece James claimed he was surprised to see Nicolas Jackson leave Chelsea
The Senegalese international's move seemed to be in the offing after falling out of favour with Maresca. However, Chelsea captain James has expressed his surprise that Jackson, who scored 30 times for the Blues, was allowed to leave the club.
“I was surprised," James admitted. "I didn’t expect him to go. But I think the player wanted a solution and the club wanted a solution as well, I’m not sure how the situation came about. But he’s an amazing player and Bayern have got a super good number 9 in him. And I wish him all the best."
Harry Kane on Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer has arguably been the Blues' finest acquisition in recent years. The 23-year-old has been a key component for Maresca, with the playmaker coming off the bench to score in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Brentford.
While he has the backing of his manager, Palmer also appears to have the support of his England captain Harry Kane, with the ex-Man City man earning 12 caps for his country.
Asked about Palmer during a pre-match press conference for Chelsea's Champions League clash with Bayern, Kane claimed Palmer was on the way to becoming "world class".
Cole Palmer and Harry Kane of England pose for a photo
Harry Kane has spoken highly of Cole Palmer(Image: Eddie Keogh)
“All I can say is he’s a great player. I enjoy playing with Cole," Kane said. “Whenever you have a No.10 who can find through balls, [make] good crosses, [have] good link-up play, drop deep and play longer balls, arrive in the box and score goals… I think he has all the attributes to be a world-class player.
"For me, world class is when you do it over a period of time, consistently over five, 10 years. For sure, he’s on that path.
“It’s been a shame not to play with him in the last camps. Hopefully, he stays fit over the next year because he’s an important player for us with the national team as well."
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