Chelsea bought Cole Palmer from Manchester City last summer, and there is no doubt that he has been one of the signings of the season.
In 34 appearances for Chelsea, Cole Palmer has scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists, an incredible return for a 21-year-old who has not been playing senior football for too long.
Going forward, the Blues will find it hard to make a better signing.
However, if they can bring in Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, everything suggests that the German could easily surpass the Chelsea star.
Wirtz has actually been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Back in November, the Daily Star claimed that Chelsea were in a long queue to sign him.
Why could Florian Wirtz be a better signing than Cole Palmer?
When you look at Wirtz and Palmer’s numbers this season, they are quite similar.
While Palmer has come up with 19 goal contributions in the Premier League, Wirtz has recorded 17 in the Bundesliga.
If the Germany international were to join Chelsea, though, what he would have over the England player is experience.
Despite being around the same age, the former has much more. Wirtz is into his fourth season of senior football as a regular at just 20. Palmer, on the other hand, has just become a first-team starter, barely playing during his time at City.
That has not stopped the Chelsea man from making an impact, but Wirtz should arrive at Stamford Bridge as a more seasoned player than what Palmer was when he joined and then, of course, he is a footballer with so much ability to begin with.
What are some of Florian Wirtz’s strengths?
This season alone, Wirtz has shown that he does have an end product in the final third. His overall attacking play, though, deserves plaudits.
As per FBref, the Leverkusen star has ranked in the 98th percentile for progressive passes and the 92nd for successful take-ons among attacking midfielders and wingers over the last year. He is a footballer that can play forward and beat defenders.
As for Palmer, he has ranked in the 90th percentile for progressive passes, so is not too far from Wirtz there, but is only in the 57th for successful take-ons.
Wirtz adapting to English football is not a guarantee. He would be coming to a foreign league, unlike Palmer, but if he joins Chelsea and can do that, the Stamford Bridge faithful could be looking at an even better player than their current hero.
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