Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro will have to take a lot of the credit for Chelsea’s Club World Cup success.
Both players were excellent in the tournament, leading Enzo Maresca‘s men to victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Palmer bagged a brace, while Pedro scored Chelsea‘s other goal as the Blues went on to win 3-0. Premier League legend Alan Shearer named Palmer in his Team of the Tournament.
En route to the final, though, the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo were also able to make an impact. All three players managed to find the back of the net in previous rounds.
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty ImagesChelsea staff impressed with Christopher Nkunku
Some were surprised by Nkunku’s inclusion in Chelsea’s squad for the Club World Cup, with the forward’s future in doubt.
He made just nine starts in the Premier League last season and is being heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. Inter Milan are one club reportedly interested in Nkunku.
However, Maresca decided to give him an opportunity at the tournament and he took it, which has not gone unnoticed.
According to BBC Sport, Nkunku has won a lot of support inside Chelsea and impressed club staff after his contribution in America.
It was the 27-year-old who restored the Blues’ lead over Benfica in the round of 16, scoring in extra time to put his side 2-1 up. In total, Nkunku made six appearances at the Club World Cup, with half of them being starts. He failed to appear in only one game, the 3-1 defeat to Flamengo in the group stage.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty ImagesWhat Enzo Maresca did with Christopher Nkunku during training at Club World Cup
When Chelsea were still in the US, it was reported that Maresca actually used Nkunku as a defensive midfielder in training.
It is not something you would expect to see on the pitch during a competitive match, though, especially when Maresca has Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
At Chelsea, there is a lot of competition there and in attack, which is ultimately the reason why Nkunku may have to depart this summer.