Cole Palmer's £40million summer move to Chelsea certainly raised a few eyebrows.

A clear talent but still relatively unproven at 21, he had been on the periphery at Manchester City and largely appeared as a substitute under Pep Guardiola.

But the Blues were convinced enough to offer Palmer a seven-year contract as they once again put their faith in youth.

That initial investment now looks to be paying off, with the England Under-21 international hitting form in recent weeks.

Ahead of Chelsea's clash with Brentford today, we take a closer look at Palmer's start to life in West London.

Finding his feet

Patience was always likely to be necessary following Palmer's arrival at Stamford Bridge.

He made his debut from the bench in a 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest and followed that with two more substitute appearances — in a goalless draw at Bournemouth and a 1-0 loss against Aston Villa.

But the Manchester native has impressed of late after being given a chance in Chelsea's starting XI.

He registered an assist in last month's 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Brighton, before an encouraging first Premier League start in a 2-0 victory at Fulham.

And Palmer has since scored in his last two league appearances, netting penalties against Burnley and Arsenal.

With confidence flowing, the youngster is beginning to look like a shrewd piece of business from the Blues.

Perceptive Palmer

Palmer's positional intelligence has already proved useful for Chelsea.

Against Arsenal, Pochettino opted to use the attacking midfielder as a false nine, allowing him to drift into areas on the right-hand side and repeatedly drag players out of position.

Given the West Londoners' lack of viable striking options, utilising Palmer in such a role could be effective in the coming weeks.

His ability to pick out the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling making forward runs should mean Chelsea pose more of an attacking threat.

Pochettino said: "The way he [Palmer] reads the situations and what the team needs in every situation, he can be the player who can link with his team-mates.

"He is still very very young but with a great personality and he has the talent and the quality."

Exciting future

Palmer's eye-catching form is reflected in the numbers.

No Chelsea player has attempted more shots per 90 minutes (3.32), created more big chances per 90 (0.83) or won possession more times in the final third per 90 (2.22).

All of this highlights why Pochettino has quickly made Palmer one of the most important players in his system.

His goal threat, creativity and positional understanding — as well as the ability to press from the front — make him an ideal fit in a high-intensity side.

There is also plenty of room for the Blues' No20 to develop, as he grows more comfortable alongside his new team-mates and in a different environment.

Chelsea's business in the summer transfer window suggested they are willing to play the long game — and in Palmer they have a player who could be a superstar by the time he reaches his peak years.