Cole Palmer did his part, but England could not see themselves over the line against Spain in the final of the 2024 European Championship. 58 interminable years of hurt will reach 60.
Chelsea's superstar has suffered a peripheral role throughout the international tournament but has shone when called upon, surgically placing the assist for Ollie Watkins' last-gasp winner against the Netherlands on Wednesday before restoring parity in Berlin with a well-struck finish from outside the box.
It wasn't to be, but the Blues' prized attacking midfielder is rubber-stamping his standing as one of English football's very finest players, utterly mesmeric since signing for the Londoners from Manchester City for an initial £40m fee last summer.
1.
Cole Palmer
34
33
2.
Erling Haaland
31
32
2.
Ollie Watkins
37
32
4.
Mohamed Salah
32
28
5.
Phil Foden
35
27
5.
Heung-min Son
35
27
The country's full of kindred spirits right now but the discourse will swiftly shift to that of the forthcoming campaign, and Palmer's adulations will narrow down to solely that of a Chelsea persuasion once more.
The Blues have improvements to make, and might just be working their way toward signing a dream partner for the 22-year-old.
Chelsea looking at signing exciting teen
According to Chelsea insider Simon Phillips, Stamford Bridge is working on continuing its busy summer transfer window by sealing the signing of Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel.
The 19-year-old is one of Europe's brightest young talents but could seek a move away from the Allianz Arena amid fears regarding his playing time – especially following the Bundesliga giants' capture of Michael Olise.
While Enzo Maresca's side have welcomed sundry signings to the fold, they have not yet fully addressed the issues up top, and Tel, a dynamic and multi-skilled forward, could be the perfect option to complement a talented crew.
What Mathys Tel would bring to Chelsea
Tel might be in the maiden phase of his career but he has unquestionably caught the eye during his efforts thus far, with talent scout Jacek Kulig remarking that "the sky is the limit" for the "mind-blowing" rising star.
Matches played
22
30
Matches started
1
6
Goals
5
7
Assists
0
5
Big chances missed
4
2
Big chances created
1
6
Pass completion
80%
85%
Shots per game
0.9
1.4
Key passes per game
0.3
0.4
Dribbles per game
0.5
1.2
Duels won per game
1.2
2.6
Indeed, Tel's first two seasons as a Bayern player have suggested that he boasts the kind of prolific style to make a real impact at a team like Chelsea, and while the west London outfit has emphasised the strengthening of its youth fold, the Frenchman would stake a good claim to be the cream of the crop, such is his quality.
He took bounding strides in the right direction last season, earning a bit more opportunity in the German top flight and taking it with the firmest of grips, notching 12 goal contributions despite starting just six matches. It's no wonder that Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic dubbed him "one of the biggest talents in Europe".
The 6-foot forward's prowess, as such, is neatly reflected through his statistical round-up from the past 12 months. As per FBref, Tel ranked among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 1% for assists, the top 9% for pass completion and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.
A deceptively sharp playmaker, Tel is more than just a striker, although he is pretty special in that regard, with analyst Ben Mattinson already describing him as an "elite-level goalscorer" and a "two-footed ball-striking machine".
One can only imagine the kind of havoc he could wreak if provided with a role of greater importance, and Chelsea would be happy to oblige.
While Maresca's unit is not exactly the most threadbare on English shores, Tel has more than enough quality to fire his way into a significant standing, unleashing the kind of prolificness from up front – wherever he may be placed, tactically flexible and positionally fluid – that was lacking last term.
Centre-forward
26
5
1
Left winger
26
7
4
Right winger
13
4
1
Of course, there's one aforementioned man who did not conform to the tonal convention under Mauricio Pochettino, and that's Palmer. He was daring and destructive, dastardly to those against him. Tel could be the missing ingredient to take the Three Lions star to another level entirely.
Chelsea improved upon the dismality of the 2022/23 campaign, beleaguered in their 12th-place final standing in the Premier League, and qualified for the Conference League after finishing sixth (knocked from their Europa League spot after Manchester United won the FA Cup).
There is still much to work on but Palmer was simply sublime in his role, scoring 25 goals and adding 15 assists across all competitions.
Maresca will seek to implement his ball-heavy, carefully-wrought style of football seamlessly at Stamford Bridge, and while Tel is a sharp distributor, it is his remarkable clinical edge that marks him as the perfect fit.
Palmer might steal the headlines for his goalscoring but he is impactful through his playmaking too, actually ranking among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90.
Therefore, one of the continent's most dynamic and electrifying partnerships could be borne from the addition of Tel. Chelsea need only pay the price now – though it's not likely to be cheap.
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