For Chelsea, nothing has changed. Cole Palmer, not for sale. Sources insist they intend on strengthening their squad this summer, not weakening it, and that there is no financial need to sell their biggest names, regardless of which European competition they end up in, if any.
But then, Palmer has changed. He has not been the player we know he can be. After 33 goal involvements under Mauricio Pochettino in 2023-24, and 23 under Enzo Maresca in 2024-25, he is on 10 in the Premier League this season, five from penalties.
Hasn’t scored since March. Hasn’t assisted since February. Hasn’t seemed majorly motivated to make a difference at a time when Chelsea have suffered six successive league losses.
He has had new injuries, a nagging groin issue giving him grief. He has had new tactics, Liam Rosenior arriving and leaving in the space of 106 days. He has had new team-mates, his club being the busiest of traders. But even so, the will to turn ‘cold’ has been lacking this term.
There has been only frustration on the field, some of it aimed at himself but also towards team-mates. When forced into playing a pass backwards, he is prone to doing so with a theatrical swing of the leg, as if to show his annoyance that he had no other options ahead of him.
Cole Palmer hasn’t scored since March. He hasn’t assisted since February. He has only 10 goal involvements in the Premier League this season, five of which were penalties
Those sulky showings, along with Palmer’s own slump, have only added to the speculation surrounding his future ahead of this summer and at a time when he has been heavily linked with a potential move to Manchester United despite being tied down to Chelsea until 2033.
Palmer said in an interview with The Guardian last month that he has learned to laugh off such links. The club’s hierarchy had spoken privately with him, as they did with Reece James and Moises Caicedo when they agreed their new contracts until 2032 and 2033 respectively, to reassure him of the calibre of signings they will be targeting this summer.
That was at a time when Chelsea were still alive in the Champions League chase, and Palmer spoke of the importance of qualifying for Europe’s elite competition so that they could be in a position to sign those players they need. Now their only hope is by slipping through the backdoor, by finishing sixth while relying on Aston Villa winning the Europa League and coming fifth.
Sources with knowledge of the contractual structure at Stamford Bridge have confirmed the majority of the Blues’ squad are now tied down to incentive-based deals. That sees the players’ salaries aligned to success on the pitch, and it is believed participation in the Champions League is worth around 20 per cent of their wages.
It became a policy within Chelsea to reward performance, while also acting as a form of financial protection for the club. Missing out on the Champions League not only hurts their pride, but their pockets.
While Palmer has sought to play down those United rumours publicly – and you can imagine there were those inside his club who hoped that might draw a line under such transfer talk – there remain sources outside of Chelsea who continue to claim he would consider such a move privately.
However, that is still somewhat dependent on United deciding they want him. They already have Bruno Fernandes controlling the No 10 position so brilliantly that he is the frontrunner for the next Premier League Player of the Year award – he won my vote with the Football Writers’ Association – so it is unclear whether they would even test the waters this summer. As sources inside Chelsea have insisted to Daily Mail Sport, their stance is that they would reject any and all approaches regardless, and that he is going nowhere in the next window.
Palmer is on to his third manager of the season after Enzo Maresca (above), Liam Rosenior and now caretaker Calum McFarlane
Palmer has trademarked his name, his face, two signatures, his ‘cold’ celebration and a logo
Chelsea have continued to support Palmer. They believe he can come back to his best, with interim Calum McFarlane the latest head coach to defend his faltering form, bringing up his groin injury from earlier in the season as one reason why he has been struggling to show his true self. Neither Chelsea nor Palmer have ever said in public that they think surgery is the answer.
England manager Thomas Tuchel was at Stamford Bridge on Monday to watch Chelsea lose 3-1 to Nottingham Forest, and witnessed Palmer’s penalty saved by Matz Sels at 2-0 down. It is hardly a certainty that the Englishman, who turned 24 today, will be selected for this summer’s World Cup, and not being taken to the United States would be a personal blow for Palmer and his image.
His company, Palmer Management Limited, has trademarked his name, his face, two signatures, his ‘cold’ celebration and a logo. He is a Nike athlete, and, among other sponsorships, last week signed a multi-year agreement to become a Coca-Cola ambassador. That will see him front campaigns for the fizzy drink, including during this summer’s World Cup.
The trademarks and commercial deals would seem awkward were he not there on football’s biggest stage, which is where he believes he belongs, even if he has not been performing like a superstar this season.
