"The problem at Chelsea" - Ex-Blues attacker explains why £108m star is struggling under Maresca

Chelsea are looking to get back to winning ways this weekend after their lost their last two games with consecutive defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup and the Premier League.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently sixth in the Premier League, just one point off the top four. However, their form has dropped in recent months as they have only won two of their last six matches in the league.

They face a game against Aston Villa at the weekend, who recently drew against league leaders Liverpool, which boosted Arsenal’s chances of winning the league title slightly.

Ex-Chelsea attacker Zenden on Cole Palmer’s struggles

Cole Palmer hasn’t scored since mid-January when he netted a goal against Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

The England international’s form has dropped off, much like the rest of the side, and former Chelsea attacker Bolo Zenden, has assessed why the midfielder is struggling as of late under Enzo Maresca.

Zenden told LondonWorld via casinoscout.nl: “It's not like Cole Palmer’s having a bad season. He's still got 14 goals and six assists. He's still been really influential. But of course, it's difficult because when any team play Chelsea, all they think about is how do we stop Palmer?

“Every team is looking to stop Chelsea by stopping Palmer, so that will be difficult for the player and it's not easy when all eyes are on you. That's why, for example, at City or Liverpool, even Arsenal, the goals come from different players on the pitch. The problem at Chelsea was that most of the goals were scored by Palmer so then all eyes are on him.”

Zenden’s assessment of Palmer’s struggles indicate that he thinks Chelsea should add more attacking talent in the summer transfer window, to take some pressure off Palmer next season.

Chelsea linked to signing Bundesliga attacker

As the Blues look ahead to the summer transfer window, they will be keen to strengthen their options upfront to ease their reliance on Palmer.

Chelsea have been heavily linked to Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi, who has also attracted the attention of Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League.

Adeyemi has made 20 appearances for the German side this season, scoring six goals in all competitions, and contributing five assists. His market value is expected to be around £30 million, and his contract at Dortmund isn’t due to expire until June 2027.

Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams is also a target for both Arsenal and Chelsea. He has a £48 million release clause in his contract, which Arsenal are expected to pay in the summer as he remains Mikel Arteta’s priority target at the position.

In other news, Arsenal, West Ham and Liverpool have been linked to signing an in-form Bundesliga striker who’s scored 17 goals this season.