Cole Palmer: 9 Alternatives Chelsea Considered and How They Are Faring Including Bradley Barcola

• Chelsea signed Cole Palmer for £42.5m on the summer transfer deadline day
• The former Manchester City star is joint top of Premier League's top scorer chart
• The Blues considered several other options before signing the England international

Cole Palmer is Chelsea's best player this season after making a £42.5 million move from Manchester City in the 2023 summer transfer window deadline.

The 21-year-old is joint top on the Premier League's top scorer chart with 20 goals, alongside former teammate Erling Haaland after scoring four goals against Everton.

Per Goal, Mauricio Pochettino was not sold on his signing but was convinced by recruitment director Joe Shields. Most fans were also not in agreement with his signing of the player.

Sports Brief looks at other options the club considered before signing Palmer.

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Chelsea's alternatives to Cole Palmer

1. James Maddison

Per The Telegraph, the England international was overlooked due to his age despite being available for £40mil after Leicester City's relegation. He turned 27 in November and doesn't fit the club's policy of U25 players.

He started strongly at Tottenham Hotspur and was named Premier League's Player of the Month in August, but an injury disrupted his season. He has four goals and seven assists in 24 games.

2. Joao Felix

Felix spent the second half of last season on loan at Stamford Bridge, and the club was willing to make the deal permanent, but Pochettino blocked it in one of his first actions as manager. He has 10 goals and six assists for Barcelona, but the Spanish club is uncertain about making the deal permanent.

3. Jeremy Doku

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The Belgian winger was on Chelsea's radar before he joined Man City for £55.5mil. He has been on and off for Pep Guardiola's side and has not quite lived up to expectations. He has 14 goal contributions in 36 games, five of which came against Bournemouth.

4. Bradley Barcola

According to Caught Offside, Todd Boehly's side missed out on Barcola for two reasons. First, Paris Saint-Germain was his preference, and the Blues' option of sending him on loan to Strasbourg didn't interest the player. Barcola has three goals and seven assists in 35 games and helped PSG reach the Champions League semi-final.

5. Emile Smith Rowe

Per Football London, Chelsea made an enquiry for Smith Rowe from their city rivals Arsenal, who rebuffed it before the Blues turned to his former U21 teammate Palmer. He has only two assists in 18 games this season, starting only four.

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6. Mohammed Kudus

The Londoners had an agreement on personal terms with the Ghanaian international, but the deal fell through due to their unwillingness to meet Ajax's demands. He joined West Ham instead, where he has 17 goals and five assists in 42 games.

7. Nico Williams

The Blues had him on their consideration list before signing Palmer but nothing concrete nor advanced happened. Per The Guardian, the club are ready to wrap up a £43mil deal for the Spanish international this summer. He helped Bilbao win the Copa del Rey and has six goals and 14 assists in 31 games.

8. Rayan Cherki

Cherki was close to leaving Olympique Lyon in the summer and winter transfer windows. Chelsea considered a deal for the France U21 international but did not proceed with the deal. It is unlikely they will return for him this summer. He has eight goal contributions in 33 games.

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9. Michael Olise

Per The Athletic, Chelsea were threatened out of the deal for Olise. The Blues moved to activate his £35mil release clause, but the player should have activated it. He signed a new four-year contract afterwards. Injury limited him to 13 appearances this season, and he has six goals and three assists.

Palmer makes Premier League history

Sports Brief reported on Palmer making Premier League history after scoring the fastest perfect hat trick in the English top-flight division against Everton.

He scored with his left foot, head, and right foot in 29 minutes as Chelsea demolished the Toffees 6-0. He also scored his ninth penalty of the season, making it a four-goal haul.