"I think he's really underrated" - Pundit snubs Cole Palmer and names Chelsea's most crucial player

Arsenal legend and pundit Martin Keown has overlooked Cole Palmer and named Nicolas Jackson as Chelsea's most important player this season. The Blues are set to be without the Senegalese striker once again for their trip to North London to face Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Palmer is Chelsea's leading scorer in the Premier League this season with 14 goals, but has failed to find the net in his last 10 appearances, his first such drought at the club. Half of those games, coincidentally, have been in the absence of former Villarreal man Jackson, who picked up an injury at the start of February.

In a chat with talkSPORT, Keown detailed why he thinks Jackson is the most important player for Enzo Maresca's side. He pointed out that the 23-year-old striker, while he may not score as many goals as one would hope, allows Cole Palmer the room to weave his magic in games.

"I think it's linked to Jackson being fit. I think he's really underrated and I looked at his statistics - he's making more high-intensity runs than any other player. Almost 100 more runs into channels, he's freeing up space for Palmer. OK, it [Palmer's form] started to drop a little bit before Jackson gets his injury. But they need him back really quickly. And of course, again, recruitment, it's an area Chelsea will want to strengthen despite the fact they've spent £1.5billion on players."

Nicolas Jackson has been out since February 3, when he injured his hamstring in his side's win over West Ham United. The Senegal international is projected to return to action after the international break this month, and may be fit enough to feature against Tottenham Hotspur on April 3.

Jackson has scored nine goals and provided five assists in the Premier League this season, having signed an extension until 2033 last summer. The club are looking to sign another striker in the summer to provide competition for Jackson, and several names have been lined up.

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Chelsea finalize plans for incoming star: Reports

Chelsea have finalised their plans to sign Portuguese midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting CP, as per The Athletic. The 20-year-old midfielder became the second Sporting player to reach an agreement with the Blues in a matter of days, joining 17-year-old Geovany Quenda.

Chelsea will pay a reported £18.5 million for the Portugal U21 international to join them on a seven-year deal with an option for an eighth in the summer. The youngster, who is on loan at LaLiga side Las Palmas, will join the Blues ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Essugo is being signed by Chelsea to provide cover for club-record signing Moises Caicedo, who has started all of their Premier League games this season. The highly-rated defensive midfielder will join the club after their interest was first reported in the January transfer window.