Chelsea’s Attacking Ranks: Evaluating All 20 Forwards

Chelsea`s relentless acquisition of forwards shows no sign of stopping. Since the Clearlake Capital consortium took over in the summer of 2022, they have permanently signed 19 wingers, strikers, and attacking midfielders. That number is soon expected to reach 20 with the anticipated arrival of Borussia Dortmund`s Jamie Gittens, following Joao Pedro, who recently joined from Brighton for $69 million to participate in the final stages of the Club World Cup.

This spending spree amounts to over half a billion dollars invested solely in the attack during the three years under the leadership of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. What`s remarkable is that, despite the massive outlay, some of these signings seemed genuinely necessary. While the specific player choices are debatable, it was clear by the end of last season that Enzo Maresca`s side needed a left winger to replace Jadon Sancho (who returned to Manchester United despite a penalty fee) and a second senior striker to either compete with or succeed Nicolas Jackson. To transition from Champions League qualifiers to title challengers, further infusion of top talent might be required.

However, as this extensive list will reveal, there`s much more to consider than just whether the current attackers can win major trophies. What`s the market value for Raheem Sterling, two years away from his $410,000 a week contract expiring, with his value diminished by a disappointing loan spell elsewhere? Are Deivid Washington and David Datro Fofana destined to become the latest examples of the “loan army” from the Roman Abramovich era, potentially spending their twenties moving between clubs, hoping for a permanent deal?

There`s a significant amount to evaluate and rank. How exactly we separate these players is more subjective than scientific, reflecting their current importance to Chelsea as well as the quality of their performances in recent seasons. And you might just be surprised who lands at number one…

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1. Cole Palmer

More than just Chelsea`s best player, Cole Palmer is a shining, impressively vocal example of how the club`s recruitment model should operate. Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart weren`t hesitant to spend around $55 million to sign Palmer from the fringes of the Manchester City squad – a fee they could easily double or even treble if they ever chose to sell him. At his peak early last season, he was arguably the Premier League`s best attacker aside from Mohamed Salah, and even after a slight dip later, he finished in the division`s top 10 for both assists and goals. With Palmer, Chelsea clearly possesses a player capable of starring for a championship-winning team.

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2. Nicolas Jackson

Nicolas Jackson can be frustrating for supporters on his off days, but regardless of whether the ball finds the net, he consistently does one crucial thing every top striker does: he gets shots off. Last season, he averaged 3.41 non-penalty shots on goal per 90 minutes, exactly matching Erling Haaland. His non-penalty xG of 0.55 is also very impressive. His shot chart below demonstrates that many of his attempts are high-quality chances, with his 0.163 xG per shot being well above the Premier League average. It`s also worth noting Jackson`s strong connection with Cole Palmer.

Questions remain about his composure in front of goal and his overall maturity, but it`s worth remembering he is still only 24. Given his contract extends just past his 32nd birthday, there`s ample time for him to iron out the issues that currently separate him from elite strikers like Victor Osimhen.

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3. Joao Pedro

Since arriving in England with Watford five years ago, Joao Pedro has consistently been an intriguing player. He possesses the raw talent, and his ability to create chances for himself and others, along with drawing fouls, indicates a footballing intelligence beyond his 23 years. Joao Pedro has been deployed across the frontline, which might highlight his versatility or suggest he hasn`t quite mastered one specific role. Consider his goal record: 19 in the last two Premier League seasons sounds good, but nine were penalties. As a forward, he excels at tasks less typical for a striker: assisting, ball progression, and winning possession back. Compared to other wingers, he takes plenty of shots. Having a versatile “tweener” forward is valuable, perhaps just not at a $70 million price tag.

Clearly, it didn`t take long to reach the players with question marks…

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4. Liam Delap

Another player difficult to predict. Liam Delap looked promising last season for an Ipswich side that ultimately faced relegation. Alongside his 12 goals, he brought a strong work rate to the central forward position. If you`re being generous, he averaged eight shots per 100 touches last season, more than any other Chelsea player bar Jackson. The fundamental attributes are there, and he performed well in the Club World Cup. But can he make the leap to becoming a starting No. 9 for a title contender?

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5. Jamie Gittens

The only player on this list technically not yet a Chelsea player, Gittens is expected to finalize his move from Borussia Dortmund after the Club World Cup. His arrival will add valuable pace to Maresca`s attack and a real ability to beat his defender down the flank. He looked devastating in the transition-heavy Bundesliga, though his eight goals came from a lower expected goals (3.6 xG). To truly shine in England, he`ll need to improve his creation and shot-taking skills. At $76.1 million, it seems a gamble, but Gittens shoots well and can be integrated as a secondary or tertiary attacker in a 4-2-3-1 setup. This could prove to be a successful signing.

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6. Noni Madueke

Based purely on talent, Madueke belongs higher, perhaps in that third spot. The young winger seemed to be making significant progress last season, with a tally of 11 goals and four assists that perhaps doesn`t fully capture how consistently the 23-year-old got into dangerous positions. Averaging three and a half shots per 90 minutes is a great sign for a winger, especially when those aren`t low-quality shots from distance. If Madueke continues on his 2024-25 trajectory, he could soon be among England`s top attackers.

It`s therefore puzzling that he`s one player Chelsea seems willing to sell to fund other recruitments. Doubling their initial investment should be the goal, and if they achieve that, the signing would be an emphatic success. However, if you`ve developed a player to the brink of becoming a genuinely dangerous Premier League attacker, doesn`t it make sense to let him reach those heights in your own team?

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7. Pedro Neto

After outbidding rivals with a deal exceeding $70 million, Chelsea got more than expected from Pedro Neto in one crucial area: games played. His 44 matches in all competitions surpassed his total from the previous two years combined at Wolves. However, this also highlighted that his issue isn`t simply a lack of rhythm. He consistently fails to provide end product as often as he should, with six goals coming from just 3.8 expected goals (xG). A combined expected goals and expected assists per 90 minutes of 0.33 in the Premier League simply isn`t up to the standard Chelsea ought to demand.

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8. Estevao Willian

It`s impossible to predict how the 18-year-old will adapt when he moves from Brazil to England this summer. However, at a very young age, he was dominating in his home country, scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists during his age-16 season with Palmeiras. While it`s uncertain how Estevao Willian will settle in London, his impressive display against Porto in the Club World Cup offers a positive sign for his future across the Atlantic.

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9. Tyrique George

One of the positive outcomes of Chelsea`s involvement in the Conference League was the senior game time it provided for Tyrique George. By the end of the season, he had translated his solid minutes with the reserve team into a supersub role in the Premier League. Reports suggest the 19-year-old might go out on loan this summer, which seems a sensible move given he appears ready for the consistent minutes Maresca might not be able to offer him.

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10. Christopher Nkunku

If a suitable offer arrives, it seems likely that Christopher Nkunku will leave Chelsea. Last season was an unhappy one for the former Bundesliga Player of the Season. Given the mixed transfer record under the current ownership, it`s tempting to look for flaws that could have been identified when signing the 27-year-old. However, it`s most probable that this was simply a case of Nkunku suffering an injury just as he was poised for a big season, allowing Palmer to claim his number 10 role.

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11. Marc Guiu

There`s no denying that Marc Guiu was too good for teams like Shamrock Rovers and Astana in the Conference League. What that truly means for his long-term future as a central forward at Chelsea will likely only become clear after he spends a season or two out on loan. Nevertheless, as a $7 million signing, there is relatively little risk for the Blues in the 19-year-old`s development.

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12. Kendry Paez

Another player whose impact on the Chelsea side is yet to be determined. Kendry Paez is expected to spend next season on loan at Strasbourg, his first step in European football. He is an attacking midfielder who holds the records for being both the youngest debutant and scorer in Ecuador`s top flight.

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13. Carney Chukwuemeka

Some might argue that Carney Chukwuemeka is included to reach the neat total of 20, to which we can only respond with a quote from the man himself: `I prefer not to speak.` If I were to speak, I`d point out that he plays the same attacking midfield position as Palmer. He counts.

Regarding Chukwuemeka the player, the glimpses we`ve seen in a Chelsea shirt suggest a genuinely talented prospect whose early career has been hampered by injuries. The Blues would prefer to sell the former Aston Villa player but may have to settle for another loan spell. Borussia Dortmund is reportedly more open to taking him back to Germany temporarily than meeting Chelsea`s demands for a permanent transfer.

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14. Armando Broja

Armando Broja has been in a similar situation for some time now, not helped by frankly ridiculous valuations like the supposed $68.5 million Chelsea reportedly wanted for him in January 2024. In 331 Premier League minutes on loan at Everton last season, Broja managed just four shots. It`s difficult to see the Blues getting a significant price for him this summer.

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15. Omari Kellyman

There`s a case to be made against including Kellyman on this list, as a hamstring injury prevented him from going out on loan, featuring in the Conference League, or getting minutes in the youth setup last season. However, Chelsea did spend $26 million on him last summer. That`s considered first-team money, even if it`s not yet clear if they`ve acquired a player who can truly impact their senior squad.

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16. David Datro Fofana

When Chelsea signed Fofana, it appeared their scouts had found a star in Norway. However, three loan spells have passed without him making a significant impact, with the second half of last season spent recovering from a knee injury. The club will struggle to find a long-term buyer for Fofana.

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17. Deivid Washington

Let`s check in on Deivid Washington, who was given an opportunity to find form back in his home country with Santos…

Not great, is it?

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18. Raheem Sterling

It`s not necessarily that these next three players are less talented than those ranked higher, nor is it entirely impossible to imagine them forging a career at Chelsea. But it`s close to that, particularly in Sterling`s case.

Perhaps a Premier League club might take a chance on Sterling, gambling that his issues weren`t declining physical ability but a lack of sufficient minutes. You could picture him in Crystal Palace`s red and blue or Fulham`s white if he were willing to accept a pay cut from his considerable wages. However, his struggles did genuinely appear to indicate that his speed was waning, suggesting he was on the downslope of his physical prime even before he arrived at Chelsea.

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19. Joao Felix

Of this final trio, Joao Felix`s continued presence on the roster is the most perplexing. The club had a long look at him in the second half of the 2022-23 season, and a charitable assessment would be that he showed flashes of talent but wasn`t someone wise to commit long-term finances to.

Yet, Chelsea did exactly that 10 months ago, in what seemed like an accounting maneuver intended to allow them to sell the highly useful Conor Gallagher. Now they are potentially committed to another six years of Felix unless they can find a buyer. A Saudi Arabian club might rescue them, and that could be an appealing option for Felix too. Without that, it`s hard to see easy solutions for Chelsea beyond an endless cycle of subsidized loans.

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20. Mykhailo Mudryk

While there`s at least some prospect of Chelsea being able to move Sterling and Felix on (perhaps not for the desired fees), it`s currently difficult to see how that happens with Mykhailo Mudryk, who is facing a ban of up to four years over a failed drugs test. It`s worth noting that even if he received the maximum ban from the date of his provisional suspension, he would still have two and a half years remaining on his Chelsea contract upon becoming eligible to play again (though questions would naturally arise about whether his contract could be terminated by the club for gross misconduct).

Regardless of the ban, Mudryk hasn`t been a particularly impressive signing since Chelsea committed up to $118 million for him. The Ukrainian almost immediately looked like a player who struggled to effectively utilize his pace, managing only 10 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances.