A new era is dawning at Stamford Bridge once Xabi Alonso officially joins on July 1, and one of the Spaniard's priorities will be getting the best out of Cole Palmer.
Chelsea's difficult campaign is reflected by Palmer's form taking a sharp nosedive. Normally one of the Premier League's best attacking midfielders, the 24-year-old has only scored four non-penalty goals in the league.
Compared to 27 goal involvements in all competitions last term, Palmer's decline arguably explains why he missed out on Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the World Cup after the German's 26-man squad was released on Friday morning.
That would have been a bitter pill for Chelsea's No. 10 to swallow, but instead of feeling hard done by, he will use the news as motivation to return to his best under Alonso and break back into Tuchel's plans.
Cole Palmer can help Chelsea sign Morgan Rogers
An exciting squad overhaul is set to begin once Alonso takes charge this summer. Palmer will be a crucial part of his plans as one of two number 10s behind the striker, and rumours suggest another could be captured.
Aston Villa are the Europa League winners and Unai Emery deserves a statue
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According to The Telegraph's John Percy, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are ready to take advantage of Villa's financial situation to land Morgan Rogers.
The Villans have been left frustrated by squad cost ratio regulations, and a big sale will be required to stay within the parameters. Rogers has been valued at £80 million by the club, although a productive World Cup campaign could see his valuation increase even higher.
Chelsea's interest in Rogers is long-term, and Palmer could play a decisive role in persuading Villa's No.27 to move to Stamford Bridge. The pair are very close friends, first playing together in the Three Lions under-15 set-up before growing much closer during their time in the Man City academy.
It's frightening to imagine the sort of partnership the two England internationals could strike in West London, especially in Alonso's system, and Palmer can make it happen by speaking highly of the club.
Rogers would be exceptional at Chelsea
Rogers recently made the headlines for scoring and assisting in Aston Villa's 3-0 win over Freiburg to clinch the Europa League title, their first major trophy in 30 years.
A huge performance on the big stage marked the perfect end to another incredible season, with the 23-year-old scoring 14 and assisting 12 in all competitions ahead of their final game against Man City.
The Villa playmaker has gone from strength to strength under Emery, and the Spaniard deserves huge credit for turning a Championship player into one of Europe's best. Now with a potential move to Chelsea on the cards, it's exciting to think he could up another gear.
In Alonso's 3-4-2-1 system, Rogers would be perfect as a left-sided number 10 alongside Palmer, who will play the "Florian Wirtz" role. Combining his ability to glide past players with power and incisiveness in the final third, Rogers is a huge upgrade on the likes of Alejandro Garnacho.
He's also crucially used to handling big game occasions and the pressure of performing in front of an expectant crowd, so it would be a major coup if the Blues were able to land Villa's prized asset, and Palmer would be delighted.
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