There's no escaping it; the 2023/24 season has been another rough one for Chelsea fans.
The hiring of Mauricio Pochettino and outrageous summer spending has yet to pay off, and with 11 games to go, the Blues look miles off the rest of the 'big six'.
That said, there have been some positive developments this year, notably the signing of Cole Palmer, who has been far and away the best player at Stamford Bridge since his arrival.
The young Englishman looks destined for a brilliant career in blue, although a former Chelsea player, who was sold far too early, is worth significantly more than the club's new darling.
Cole Palmer's valuation this season
Chelsea paid Manchester City around £42.5m for Palmer last August in a move that raised a few questions from fans and pundits alike, as while the youngster was clearly talented, people had only seen him make small cameos for the treble-winners.
Position
Player
Goals
Assists
1
Cole Palmer
14
12
2
Nicolas Jackson
12
4
3
Raheem Sterling
8
10
4
Enzo Fernández
7
3
5
Mykhaylo Mudryk
6
3
However, the Wythenshawe-born gem didn't take long to put any concerns to rest, as by Christmas Day, he had already scored six goals and provided five assists.
As things stand, he has increased his haul to 14 goals and 12 assists in just 34 games, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.3 games, which would be a remarkable return for any player, let alone one who is playing his first full season of regular senior football.
His immense exploits for the Pensioners have also seen his value rise, with Football Transfers' Expected Value model pricing him at around €32m – about £27m – which is considerably more than the €5m – £4m – that they valued him at in September.
While his transfer value is likely to keep rising and should be celebrated, it's still significantly lower than that of a player Chelsea were all too eager to get rid of just eight years ago.
Mohamed Salah's valuation this season
Yes, of all the players Chelsea have sold too soon over the years, Mohamed Salah probably haunts them the most.
Appearances
337
Goals
207
Assists
92
Goal Involvements per Match
0.88
The Egyptian superstar spent two and a half years as a Blues player between January 2014 and July 2016, although he spent most of that time away from west London, with loans to Fiorentina for the second half of the 2015/16 campaign and to Roma for the entirety of the 2016/17 season.
He was eventually sold to the Romans for just £16m, where, after an impressive year in which he scored 19 goals and provided 15 assists in just 41 games, he was sold to Liverpool for around £34m.
That first year on Merseyside saw the former Blues man break the goalscoring record for a 38-game Premier League season – a record broken by Erling Haaland last year – and he's been an incredible goalscorer ever since.
In all, the "insane" 31-year-old, as Jürgen Klopp described him, has scored 207 goals and provided 92 assists in his 337 games for the Reds, although he's only put four past his former club in that time.
His unreal record in red has seen his value soar. Even though he's only a few months off his 32nd birthday, Football Transfers' Expected Value model prices him at around €58m, which is about £50m, or £23m more than what they value Palmer.
Chelsea could rue selling "deadly" £3m ace who's now outscoring Palmer
The talented forward has been on fire for the last two seasons and shows no sign of slowing down.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 19, 2024
Ultimately, it's not uncommon for clubs to sell a player who goes on to have an impressive career, but it is quite rare for them to be as brilliant as Salah has been for a direct rival. That said, in a few years, the Blues' latest superstar in the making will likely surpass the Egyptian in value.