Chelsea legend Joe Cole has been speaking about a Blues player who is not Cole Palmer.
Understandably, Cole Palmer has stolen all of the headlines at Chelsea this season.
The 21-year-old was unable to prevent the Blues from being knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend, but he has still had an excellent campaign.
In 39 appearances for Chelsea, Palmer has scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists.
However, the former Manchester City man is not the only Chelsea player that Cole has been impressed with this term.
Joe Cole tips Chelsea star to become even better
With the numbers that he has recorded this season, it has been hard for anyone to outshine Palmer.
However, Cole thinks that one of his team-mates has also been a very influential figure under Mauricio Pochettino.
Speaking on talkSPORT (22/04/2024 at 11:10) about midfielder Conor Gallagher, the Chelsea legend said: “I liken him to a Jordan Henderson. I think he can keep getting better and better.
“Every year I have watched him play, he has got better. And he has been influential in this team.”
Pochettino may not have Gallagher for much longer, though. His contract expires in 2025 and he is reportedly attracting interest from Newcastle United ahead of the summer transfer window.
Conor Gallagher’s numbers show how influential he has been
The numbers certainly back up the points Cole is trying to make about Gallagher.
Making 43 appearances this season, Gallagher is the most used player in Pochettino’s squad.
The England international is also making 2.4 tackles per game, an average only Marc Cucurella (2.8) can better among Chelsea players in the current campaign, as per WhoScored.
Gallagher is not a goalscorer like Palmer and does not create the same amount of opportunities as his team-mate. However, he has still been an important asset for the Blues this season, one that they should be looking to keep hold of.
