It hasn't been the most enjoyable season of football for Chelsea fans this year.
While there have been the odd impressive performance here and there, the Blues have generally struggled to put together a convincing run of form under the increasingly pressurised Mauricio Pochettino.
That said, there have been some things worth celebrating this year, notably the arrival of Cole Palmer, who is quickly becoming the club's most important player.
Cole Palmer's valuation this season
Chelsea completed Palmer's £42.5m signing last summer, and while some might've questioned spending so much money on a youngster who had yet to play a full season of top-flight football, the Pensioners have been vindicated in their decision to bring him to West London.
So far, the Wythenshawe-born gem has scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists in just 34 appearances for the Pensioners and has been instrumental in some of the club's most important results of the season.
Position
Player
Goals
Assists
1
Cole Palmer
14
12
2
Nicolas Jackson
12
4
3
Raheem Sterling
8
10
4
Enzo Fernández
7
3
5
Mykhaylo Mudryk
6
3
For example, he opened the scoring at home against Arsenal, scored the final goal in the 4-4 draw with City, scored a brace and provided an assist in the 3-2 win over Luton Town, and most recently scored and assisted against Leicester City in the FA Cup.
While many initially viewed his signing as one for the future, there can be no doubt that the 21-year-old has become the most effective attacker in the squad, and his recent valuation reflects that.
According to Football Transfers' Expected Value model, the Englishman was worth just €5m – £4m – in September but is now worth around €32m, which is about £27m.
With how he has been playing this season, it's just a matter of time before his value surpasses what Chelsea paid for him last year, although he'll have to go some way to be worth more than a former legend would be today.
Eden Hazard's valuation in 2024
The Blues legend in question is the one and only Eden Hazard, who spent seven brilliant years at Stamford Bridge, during which he consistently dazzled fans with unbelievable skills and outrageous goals.
Appearances
352
Goals
110
Assists
92
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
In his 352 games for the West Londoners, the Belgian superstar scored 110 goals, provided 92 assists and won almost everything there was to win, including two league titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup.
However, it wasn't just what he won and the number of goals he scored that made him an extraordinary player; it was how he won and played.
The "incredible" magician, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, was a true entertainer. With a ball at his feet, he could do things that few other players could even contemplate, often rousing the fans with individual bits of magic.
So, how much would he cost in today's market? And, for that matter, how do people even know? Well, it's thanks to the number whizzes over at Totally Money.
Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.
In the case of Hazard, Totally Money has worked out that the £31.5m he cost Chelsea in 2012 would be worth an eye-watering £84m, or just over three times the current valuation of the former City ace, and if he were signed today, he would be the club's fifth most expensive signing of all time.
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However, the Belgian's massively inflated valuation raises another question: How much money will Palmer be worth in 2034?
