3 best players from Chelsea's pre-season so far

Chelsea are currently in the United States of America on pre-season as they prepare for the new season. So far, the Blues have played the likes of Wrexham, Newcastle United, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have given a good outing in pre-season. They thrashed newly promoted League Two side Wrexham 5-0. They have also played brilliantly in the Premier League Summer Series, securing a 4-3 win against Brighton, and more recently, they played a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

The Blues will round off the series with a London derby clash versus Fulham on July 29, before facing Borussia Dortmund on August 3 to wrap up their pre-season activities.

The pre-season clashes has provided Pochettino the opportunity to assess the players on his roster and we have witnessed top performances from some Chelsea stars thus far.

Without further ado, we will look at the three best Chelsea players so far in pre-season,

#3 Christopher Nkunku

Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea FC: Premier League Summer Series

France forward Christopher Nkunku has been one of the club's stand-out performers so far in pre-season. The former RB Leipzig attacker scored on his debut against Wrexham. He then followed it up with another goal against Brighton.

The west Londoners paid a staggering £52 million to bring the 25-year-old to Stamford Bridge and it's looking like money well spent. Nkunku has been deployed as a centre-forward by Pochettino in pre-season and his presence in the final third has been apt.

His positioning, awareness, and composure in the opposition's box have also been commendable. Nkunku has been one of the most prolific forwards in Europe for the past few seasons. Last season, he netted 16 goals in 25 Bundesliga games, emerging as the league's top goalscorer.

It will be fascinating to see him bring his goalscoring abilities to the fore when the Premier League season commences.

#2 Ian Maatsen

Chelsea FC v Wrexham - Pre-Season Friendly

Ian Maatsen, the Dutch U21 international, has been very impressive in pre-season. The 21-year-old is one of the multiple youngsters who made the Chelsea pre-season squad with the hopes of impressing the manager for a chance in the first team.

So far, Maatsen has shown that he deserves a place in the first team. He bagged a first-half brace in the 5-0 victory over Wrexham and also beautifully set up Nicolas Jackson for his side's opener in the 1-1 draw versus Newcastle.

The energetic youngster is primarily a left-back, but can also play as a wing-back or left midfielder. Last season, he helped Burnley gain promotion back to the Premier League. He registered four goals and six assists in 39 league games and was also named in the 'EFL Championship Team of the Season.'

With this sort of outstanding display, Maatsen is gradually working his way into Mauricio Pochettino's setup for the upcoming campaign.

#1 Nicolas Jackson

Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea FC: Premier League Summer Series

Senegalese forward Nicolas Jackson has to a large extent been Chelsea's best player in the ongoing pre-season. The 22-year-old who was roped in this summer from Villarreal to bolster the club's attacking unit has hit the ground running.

Jackson's performance in the pre-season games has been exceptional as he has either scored a goal or assisted in every game he's played so far. He bagged an assist against Wrexham and scored his side's only goal in the game against Newcastle.

His best outing was against Brighton where he bagged a goal and two assists. These statistics indicate that the Senegalese attacker is a skilled forward who not only scores goals but also sets up opportunities for his teammates.