Better than Eze: Chelsea close to agreement to sign £52m "game-changer"
da imperador bet： Next season feels like it’s set to be a massive one for Chelsea.
da 888casino： Enzo Maresca’s side will be going into it as Conference League and World Champions, and while they won’t be the favourites to win the Premier League, there will undoubtedly be an expectation that they will challenge for the title.
Fortunately, the board are properly backing the team so far this summer, with exciting signings like Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.
Moreover, the Blues have even been linked with Eberechi Eze, although, based on reports, it now appears they’re turning their attention to someone who’d be a far better signing.
Chelsea target big Eze upgrade
It’s been a busy summer of business for Chelsea so far, and one of the players who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge has been Eze.
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The Crystal Palace star has also been heavily touted for a move to London rivals Arsenal, but reports from earlier this month revealed that the Blues have been in contact with the player’s representatives.
The England international has a release clause worth £68m in his current deal and would undoubtedly bring some real quality and flair to Maresca’s squad, but it now looks like BlueCo are rapidly advancing towards a deal for another attacker, who’d be an even better signing.
At least that’s according to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who claims that Chelsea are incredibly keen on signing Xavi Simons.
In fact, Plettenberg has revealed that personal terms are not an issue as the player is “open to the Chelsea project” and that “very good talks also took place with RB Leipzig yesterday.”
The German journalist claims that the Bundesliga side are now just “waiting for an offer” for the player they value at around £52m, per other reports.
While that’s still a lot of money to spend on one player, Simons has proven he’d be worth it over the last couple of seasons, and a better signing than Eze to boot.
Why Simons would be a better signing than Eze
So, while both players are brilliant, there are several reasons why Simons would be the better signing for Chelsea this summer, and the first is their output in the league, which is ultimately their bread and butter.
Simons vs Eze in the league
Players
Simons
Eze
Appearances
25
34
Minutes
2157′
2603′
Goals
10
8
Assists
7
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.68
0.47
Minutes per Goal Involvement
126.88′
162.68′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In his 25 Bundesliga appearances last season, totalling 2157 minutes, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem scored ten goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.47 league games, or every 126.88 minutes.
In contrast, the Eagles star scored eight goals and provided as many assists in 34 Premier League appearances last season, totalling 2603 minutes, which comes out to a lacklustre average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games, or every 162.68 minutes.
In addition to performing better in the league, the Flying Dutchman also shares some statistical similarities with the incredible Cole Palmer, which can only be a good thing.
For example, Squawka ranks them very closely for key metrics such as goals, assists, chances created, take-ons completed and more, all per 90.
These numbers help convey that the Amsterdam-born “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is someone capable of impacting the game in more ways than just goals and assists, as evident in some of his highlight reels.
Finally, and this is especially important when it comes to the Blues, the former PSV Eindhoven monster is still just 22 years old, and therefore, he’d be able to develop and continue improving alongside the likes of Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Joao Pedro and then hit his peak around the same time as them.
Ultimately, while Eze would be a good signing for Chelsea, Simons would simply be the smarter one with more upside a few years from now, and therefore, they should do all they can to get him to West London this summer.
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