Eyebrows were raised when the Blues splurged on the attacker on transfer deadline day, but he has swiftly emerged as their most important player
Chelsea’s deadline-day capture of Manchester City’s Cole Palmer was perplexing, not least because the £42.5 million ($52m) fee pushed their spend under co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali past the £1 billion ($1.2bn) mark. In what was viewed as a costly, knee-jerk reaction to Christopher Nkunku’s untimely pre-season injury, the Blues had shelled out on another youngster who, despite boasting a portfolio of impressive cameos, was unproven in the Premier League and had made just 41 appearances for City overall.
However, Palmer’s faultless start to life at Stamford Bridge has flipped that narrative on its head; a string of imperious, influential performances has seen questions over his price tag become muted. Having been sensibly eased into the team by Mauricio Pochettino, the 21-year-old has emerged as one of Chelsea’s most important players.
That was certainly the case on Sunday, when Palmer proved a point against his old side, impressing throughout the Blues’ Premier League clash with City and eventually earning his new team a point from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time.
Creative force
Nkunku’s injury in early August saw Chelsea shorn of their would-be creator-in-chief before a ball had even been kicked this season, and they evidently set about searching for a replacement behind the scenes. Although Nkunku hadn’t played a competitive game for the Blues, it was seen as an impossible task to mitigate for the goals and assists he would have provided, given his return of 126 contributions in 172 appearances for RB Leipzig.
Palmer, though, has been unfazed, going about his work with the kind of quality and determination that belies his tender age. Always looking to probe and create, he was averaging more progressive passes than any other player in the Premier League at the start of November, and continues to lead the division in passes into the penalty area.
His versatility is outstanding, too, with his effectiveness so far undiminished whether he is playing as an attacking midfielder, on the wing or as a false nine.
While it’s evident that he is one of those players whose contributions aren’t necessarily reflected in statistics, as he hangs back and looks to act as the catalyst, he does have four assists already, as well as four penalty goals.
Elite mentality
Palmer ended a 15-year association with Man City when he joined Chelsea on deadline day, but taking that significant leap of faith in his own ability was clearly something that didn’t faze him. He carries himself with supreme confidence and has settled in seamlessly, even having the nerve to insist on taking a penalty against Arsenal ahead of seasoned veteran Raheem Sterling.
Despite his age and the fact he was working with arguably the greatest coach of all time, Palmer was steadfast in his belief that he was ready to be a regular starter in the Premier League, rather than a bit-part player in Pep Guardiola’s ever-rotating winning machine, and he backed himself; ironically he would have honed that strongmindedness at City.
Explaining his decision, the 21-year-old said: “I’m not saying I shied away from the competition because I’ve never done that. I’d been there [around the first team] for a few years and wanted more of an opportunity to play – in my position – and to have more of an impact.
“It was a huge decision. I don’t know any different. I’ve never been on loan. I’ve never moved out of Manchester. The only time I’ve ever been outside of Manchester is on holiday or away games. Going [to Chelsea] does feel weird, but there is no time to waste. I’ve got to get to it.”
Something Chelsea have missed
Since becoming an integral part of the side, Palmer has reintroduced a certain je ne sais quoi to Chelsea that has arguably been missing since the days of Eden Hazard. In simple terms, his balletic ball carrying, trickery and confidence are a joy to behold, especially given Chelsea’s tendency to lean towards direct, functional attacking players such as Sterling and Timo Werner in recent times. Kai Havertz is perhaps the exception, but he too became utilitarian as he was shoehorned into a team that he never truly fitted.
Consistency is another thing those costly signings have never been able to deliver, but Palmer is currently hitting the same high level game in, game out, and sometimes he doesn’t even look like he’s trying. He has already endeared himself to the Chelsea faithful with his sumptuous technical ability, and if he can maintain this standard he will make a name for himself at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s stand-out signing
The man who tipped Chelsea’s spending in the Boehly-Clearlake Capital era past £1bn, Palmer’s start has been so impressive that he is arguably already the ownership’s best signing to date. Bar perhaps January acquisition Enzo Fernandez, few have been as impactful or demonstrated the consistency that Palmer has in just over two months at the club. Working with Pochettino, he has changed the way Chelsea attack, seemingly removing the shackles and making a tangible difference.
That is something his manager has recognised, saying recently: “He arrived on the last day of the transfer window but is playing like he’s been here 10 years, showing his character and personality. I cannot say, ‘I didn’t expect that’, but also if I say, ‘I expected it’, then I’m lying.
“You create expectation always when you sign a player but, of course, he’s doing well. You only feel the player when you have the player, and from day one when he started to train, you could see the talent.”
One player who will be expected to be similarly influential from the first moment he pulls on the shirt is Nkunku, and the prospect of the Frenchman playing alongside Palmer is mouth-watering.
What were City thinking?!
Man City have gained a reputation for developing and ruthlessly selling off their academy products – an approach that has yielded £260m ($318m) in six years and has had no bearing on the club’s relentless pursuit of success, even if it could be viewed as cynical. Indeed, Palmer’s new team-mate Romeo Lavia is another to have stepped off the conveyor belt at the Etihad, arriving in west London via Southampton.
Palmer was the latest graduate to be deemed expendable in the summer, in the wake of Jeremy Doku’s big-money arrival to replace Riyad Mahrez. The Belgian winger, too, has hit the ground running in his new surroundings, so it would be remiss to suggest the Citizens will regret letting go of Chelsea’s emerging star, as much as it is a shame to not give opportunities to homegrown talent.
While he has made that £42.5m transfer fee look like a bargain in the early stages of his Chelsea career, that sum represents 100 percent profit for the Blues’ Premier League rivals, and that will no doubt be reinvested to fund yet more success.
And while that may be true, Palmer made sure to fire a parting shot at his former employers on Sunday. As well as scoring the vital penalty, he was pretty spectacular throughout, nearly netting a second-half stunner when he danced throughout a host of City player before losing his balance at the vital moment.
“It was very strange since it’s the first time I’ve played against Manchester City,” he reflected after the game “It was a long wait [to take the penalty] but I felt confident. I’ve had a few now. I kept focused. I won’t say I work on penalties, because I don’t. I just trust my ability.”
Set for a big summer?
In the wake of that superb performance at Stamford Bridge, Palmer received the biggest honour of his career to date: a senior England call-up.
With Gareth Southgate dealt a string of injury blows and Jude Bellingham a major doubt, he turned to the in-form Chelsea man to bolster the squad. And while it’s unlikely that he’ll get any minutes, Southgate is normally slow to integrate new arrivals into the starting XI, keep up his current form and he could sneak into Euro 2024 contention.
Had he stayed at City, there’s very little chance that this would have happened.
