Exequiel Palacios is seemingly on track to join Chelsea, dazzling stats prove why
Exequiel Palacios' latest outstanding Argentina performance proves why Chelsea should be in for his services in the January window.
Newly-promoted Ipswich landed a major coup in the summer with the arrival of Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £19.3million.
The 27-year-old racked up over 180 appearances in his six years at Leverkusen, playing a key role in their unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign.
He has been a regular for Argentina in the last few years, helping them to World Cup glory in 2022, and started in their win over Bolivia on Wednesday.
Palacios' fine showing for his country should raise concerns at Portman Road that they may not be able to hang onto him for very long.
He could emerge onto Chelsea's radar in the new year, given their lack of midfield options and his close relationship with Xabi Alonso.
Exequiel Palacios shines in Argentina win over Bolivia
Palacios' 42nd Argentina appearance saw him start in central midfield next to Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister.
He arguably outshone the Reds man, registering an assist with a delightful threaded pass for Nico Paz to make it 2-0 as their post-Messi era began with a comfortable victory.
Palacios had the most touches (115) of any player on the pitch, while he completed the most passes (100) and created another big chance aside from his assist for Paz.
He was also strong defensively, making three tackles, five ball recoveries and winning all four of his attempted ground duels.
His stock is surely set to rise after the standout performance, especially after a strong start to life at Ipswich in the Premier League.
It would make perfect sense for Chelsea to register their interest in his services midway through his first Tractor Boys campaign, and they would surely be able to coax him away from Portman Road in January.
Xabi Alonso has already made his feelings clear on Palacios
Alonso made Palacios a key member of his Leverkusen squad as he ultimately built one of the best Bundesliga teams of all time.
The Spaniard would surely be interested in reuniting with his former player if the opportunity came about, with Chelsea clearly set to be in the market for midfielders in January.
He has already praised the 27-year-old publicly during their spell working together, with particularly strong quotes in 2023 after he had become a regular starter for the German club.
"Pala has been playing at an exceptionally high level for the past two months; the team’s significant improvement has largely come about because of the step forward Pala has taken within the squad," Alonso said of him at a press conference.
He added: “He has that dynamism, that aggression in winning the ball back; he’s getting better and better at reading the flow of the game – knowing when to play long, when to play short, and when to play into space. I encourage and motivate him to keep striving to improve because it will make us so much better.”