It’s been another characteristically busy summer for Chelsea this year.
As well as making it to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup – the only English side to do so – the Blues have been wheeling and dealing in the transfer market.
The latest star to be announced by the club was striker Joao Pedro, who took the now well-trodden path to Stamford Bridge from Brighton & Hove Albion for around £60m.
However, the West Londoners are far from done there, as a deal has reportedly now been reached to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, and on top of that, a talent who could be the next Cole Palmer has also been linked.
Chelsea target young talents
The ethos at Chelsea over the last few years has been to buy young, up-and-coming talents, which is something they are continuing to do this summer.
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For example, Gittens, whose final price tag appears to be around £55m, is still just 20 years old, and based on his tally of 12 goals and five assists in 49 games last season, looks set for a bright future.
Likewise, Liam Delap, who joined the club from Ipswich Town for just £30m prior to the CWC last month, is still just 22, and already has a goal and an assist to his name in four appearances for the Blues.
And now, there is another promising gem that is on the club’s radar: Tyler Dibling.
Yes, according to a recent report from Football Transfers, Chelsea are incredibly interested in the Southampton prospect.
In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that West Londoners have already begun talks with the youngster’s camp and are considering making an offer for him.
However, they aren’t the only ones interested in the 19-year-old, as Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Man Utd, Aston Villa, and RB Leipzig are all keeping an eye on him.
Moreover, the Saints reportedly value their exciting talent at a minimum of £55m.
In all, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Dibling’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be their next Palmer.
Why Dibling could be Palmer 2.0
So, the first thing to say is that we know this is a massive statement, but to be clear, we are not saying that Dibling is like Palmer at the moment, as he is not, and it’s not even close.
However, there are some clear similarities between them and their potential moves, should the Southampton gem move to Chelsea.
For example, he’d be another young, reasonably sought-after English talent moving to Stamford Bridge to test himself with regular football at a massive club.
Moreover, while the Exeter-born dynamo is primarily a right-winger, he has spent plenty of time playing in attacking midfield and has actually played in a multitude of positions.
Similarly, the Blues talismanic attacker tends to play in attacking midfield, but has spent plenty of time off the right, as well as in a number of areas on the pitch.
Finally, while he wasn’t able to have quite the same impact as Palmer did last season, in part because he’s younger and was playing in a terrible team, the teenager has the same determination to make things happen.
For example, FBref placed him in the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for successful take-ons per 90, and in 38 games across all competitions, he scored four goals and provided three assists.
Appearances
38
Minutes
2215′
Goals
4
Assists
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.18
Minutes per Goal Involvement
316.42′
It’s not just us either, as Dion Dublin argued that “he plays his game like Cole Palmer” last season, in part due to the way he “rolls players and takes the ball well.”
Ultimately, he’s clearly not yet at the level of Palmer, but Dibling looks like he could reach that level in the future, and therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him.
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