Chelsea have come roaring back into European contention, galvanized by the breakout of Premier League young Player of the Season Cole Palmer and his 20-plus goals as a non-striker.
Palmer has been the big story for Chelsea this season on a team lacking in star quality despite heavy financial investment, but there are a number of talented Chelsea players who could make a big impact next season.
Here are three legitimate star quality talents who haven’t quite shown the extent of their true capabilities in a Chelsea uniform.
FW Christopher Nkunku
When talking about talents who haven’t shown their best level for Chelsea yet, the conversation often centers around former RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku, who was a legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate in the 2021/22 season before joining Chelsea.
Nkunku hasn’t been healthy enough to truly contribute to the Blues, but he was one of the best players in the Bundesliga for years and has shown glimpses of that quality this season for Chelsea when he has been healthy enough to start.
Before arriving at Stamford Bridge, Nkunku had two seasons with more than 15 goals in the Bundesliga and two seasons with 13 assists, showing up well as a high-quality goal-scorer and playmaker.
A healthy Nkunku with Cole Palmer could be one of the most devastating attacking one-two punches in the Premier League with goals and assists galore.
DM Romeo Lavia
The young Romeo Lavia has also been consistently out of action for Chelsea since coming to the first team after standing out with Southampton.
Chelsea have not found enough star quality in midfield, as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have been thorough disappointments from what was expected from both of the transfer investments.
Lavia is one of the most talented young midfielders in world football. The Belgian looked like a top Premier League midfielder a couple of seasons ago for the Saints, and when he finally gets back to full strength, he could very well be the best midfielder at Stamford Bridge.
LB Ian Maatsen
Ian Maatsen has played a key role for Borussia Dortmund as their starting left back and a definitive solution to their problem at the position, outplaying hyped Borussia Monchengladbach signing Ramy Bensebaini.
Although Borussia Dortmund want to keep the young talent who has been a key starter in this road to the Champions League Final, Chelsea hold all the cards and will most likely keep the 22-year-old breakout left back after the 2023/24 season.
Chelsea could use Maatsen’s energy and quality on the left flank, especially with injuries casting doubt on veteran Ben Chilwell’s future. Maatsen has shown his quality this season for Dortmund but not yet for Chelsea. That could change in 2024.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.