The shocking stat that proves Chelsea must sign £52m star this summer

Even in his absence, Chelsea find themselves fixated on Cole Palmer. Like a cunning schoolboy playing truant on the day of a particularly spiteful exam, the Stamford Bridge talisman was conveniently missing from his side’s 5-0 disembowelment at the hands of Arsenal on Tuesday evening, and in the aftermath, much of the discourse brought to mind Homer Simpson’s pitch to resurrect the public image of Poochie, that cartoon dog he voiced on The Itchy and Scratchy Show for an episode; whenever Palmer’s not on screen, all the other characters should be asking, ‘where’s Palmer?’.

Perhaps this wouldn’t be such a glaring issue for the Blues if they weren’t so desperately reliant on the England international and his contributions in the final third. Take away the combined tally of 29 goals and assists that Palmer has coughed up this season, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side would be languishing in the relegation zone, 21 points worse off than they currently are.

Now, of course, there is nothing wrong or improper with a player making a difference for a club who spent tens of millions of pounds to sign him. But, there is also no denying that Chelsea would be in a much more stable and prosperous position if they could snuffle out a signing or two to ease Palmer’s burden. Even just a little.

Maybe in the fullness of time the injury-prone Christopher Nkunku could become that aide. Perhaps even Nicolas Jackson, who currently leads the line with all of the predatory instinct of Janet Jackson, can kindle some kind of meaningful spark that consistently makes good on his obvious potential. But Todd Boehly is gonna Todd Boehly, and to that end, it feels almost unthinkable that Chelsea won’t go out and recruit a centre forward of some description or other this summer.

The latest unfortunate to have their name scrawled into the American’s transfer Death Note is Jonathan David. There’s an old quip that you should never trust a man with two first names, but at the very least, Chelsea seem to believe that they can trust in his goal-scoring record. Currently on the books at LOSC Lille in France, the Canadian international has scored 24 times in 42 outings across all competitions this season, and currently boasts a similar return of 26 goals in 46 caps at senior international level. Not bad.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Chelsea have emerged as serious contenders to sign David in the coming months, but may have to pay anywhere up to £52 million to lure him to West London. That fee is, as you might have noticed, fairly high, but such is the nature of this inflated bubble within which elite football operates. And while David would not come cheap, he would certainly be a thriftier option than the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney, or Viktor Gyokeres - the other strikers with which the Blues are frequently linked.

Really though, the big question is whether or not David can be the prolific centre forward that Pochettino’s squad is so obviously and desperately crying out for. In truth, there is no way of knowing for sure. Many have arrived at Stamford Bridge with high hopes and left with their reputation in tatters. It is a Bermuda Triangle of form and consistency.

At the very least, David looks to be a better option than what Chelsea currently have. Whether that means he is the answer to all their problems, however, only time will tell.