Cole Palmer and the Chelsea stars whose values will EXPLODE in 2025

Robin Bairner

• 2 Jan 2025 11:00 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea’s transfer policy of buying young and promising players is starting to be vindicated now that Enzo Maresca is in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Although recent results have seen a downturn in the Blues’ performances, that Chelsea head into 2025 into the Champions League positions is a vindication of recent decisions taken at board level.

The Stamford Bridge side have spent heavily in recent transfer windows and have a squad that is now starting to blossom.

READ MORE: Chelsea top scorers 2024/25

Chelsea’s most valuable player is Cole Palmer, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €89.4 million. Second is Nicolas Jackson on €59.5m followed by Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, who each top €53m.

But transfer values are always evolving, so over the course of the next 12 months, whose price is likely to explode at Stamford Bridge?

FootballTransfers asked three experts what we can expect to see at Chelsea.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) explained

Our Player Valuation Model calculates an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) for more than 240.000 players in the world.

Read more here.

Our Player Valuation Model calculates an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) for more than 240.000 players in the world. It uses information on the player's skill, potential, performance, contract duration, position and other statistics to estimate an accurate ETV.

Read more here.

Cole Palmer to top €100m for the first time

Undoubtedly Chelsea’s star man, Cole Palmer is set to have a shootout with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah for the Premier League’s Player of the Year awards.

Signed from Manchester City for €47m 18 months ago, Palmer has seen his value explode after gaining first-team exposure. He was worth only €4.8m when the Blues snapped him up but his current ETV is a whopping €89m.

Chelsea fans will, no doubt, feel that figure is low.

Palmer is the 16th most valuable player in the world as things stand, but he is also the most valuable player not playing in the Champions League, some €17m more expensive than Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who ranks next best.

Should Chelsea reach that competition in 2025, look for Palmer’s value to take another massive leap as he proves himself on that stage. The sky is the limit for the 22-year-old.

Robin Bairner, FootballTransfers chief editor

Romeo Lavia’s value to bounce back

Big things were expected of Lavia when he joined Chelsea from Southampton in the summer of 2023 for €62m.

Like Palmer, he was a former Man City youth product but had impressed on the south coast before being added to the Blues midfield unit.

Injuries prevented him from making an impression in his first season at the club, and the result was that his ETV tumbled from a high of €48.5m down to its current level of €10m.

All that’s needed for the 20-year-old to bounce back is some pitch time. He had been brought gingerly back into the squad before suffering a setback in early December.

Now ready to go again, his biggest challenge will be winning a spot back from the in-form Enzo Fernandez.

If his body can hold up, expect to see the Belgium international regain his old heights.

Ronan Murphy, European football expert

Josh Acheampong’s value to skyrocket

Chelsea have sold a plethora of talented academy full-backs over the past few years, but Josh Acheampong looks set to buck that trend.

Following a recent period of isolation amid his refusal to sign a contract extension, the England youth international is back in the fold at Stamford Bridge after penning a new deal that runs until 2029.

Acheampong caught the eye during Europa Conference League clashes against FC Astana and Shamrock Rovers in December, and Enzo Maresca is a known admirer.

Given Reece James’ injury history and Axel Disasi’s poor form, Acheampong is set for an increased first-team role in 2025 and his ETV of €1.1m is therefore likely to skyrocket.

Cameron Smith, Premier League expert