Chelsea can save frustrated Liverpool star in repeat of successful £42.5m transfer

When Chelsea agreed a £42.5million transfer for Cole Palmer in the summer of 2023, it's safe to say eyebrows were raised. The playmaker had played just 850 minutes for Manchester City across all competitions the previous season, and despite signs of promise, wasn't really considered value for money at the time.

Fast forward two years, and there will be few, if any, arguing Chelsea made a mistake by signing Palmer from City, given the impact he's had on the Blues' fortunes. After winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award during his debut campaign, Palmer backed it up last season by helping Chelsea win the Conference League and qualify for the Champions League.

And after the success of taking one young English starlet starved of minutes at a top Premier League side, it's a blueprint Chelsea could look to replicate with Liverpool star Harvey Elliott. The recent arrival of Florian Wirtz could prove a nail in the coffin of Elliott's Liverpool career, with his already limited minutes likely to be reduced even further if he sticks around at Anfield.

Much like Palmer during his final season at City, Elliott managed just 822 minutes for Liverpool across 28 appearances last term. His chances of making an early impression on Arne Slot were hindered by a broken foot, but with the addition of £116m Wirtz to the Reds' attack, Elliott has never felt closer to a Liverpool exit.

Given his ability and age profile, Elliott is unlikely to be short of suitors this summer, with Brighton having already been mooted as a potential destination. But given Chelsea's need for a versatile attacker following Jadon Sancho's return to Manchester United, the capital club could do much worse than attempting to strike a deal for the former Fulham prodigy.

Elliott has opened up about not wanting to "waste" his prime years sitting on the Liverpool bench, suggesting an openness to wanting to move on. He said early this month: "It's just a situation that me and the team have to have a conversation about because I'm coming into an age now where I'm 22, I'm going to be 23 next season.

"I don't really want to be wasting years on my career because it's a short career. You don't know what's going to happen. I need to reflect. I need to see if I'm content in doing what I'm doing and how can I improve as a player because that's the most important thing." And that may offer Chelsea an opportunity to pounce and give him what Liverpool cannot.