Cole Palmer has been linked with a shock move to one of Chelsea’s biggest Premier League rivals this summer.
After establishing himself as one of the best players in the Premier League during his first season for Chelsea in 2023/24, Palmer has failed to impress for most of this season.
Despite starting the current campaign strong, it’s now been nearly four months since the Englishman scored his most recent goal against against Bournemouth on 14 January.
Palmer’s dip in form has led to some people speculating that Chelsea may not be the perfect club for him, and one pundit has suggested he could be the perfect fit for one of their biggest Premier League rivals.
With just four games left of the current Premier League season, Chelsea remain struck in a fierce battle for a spot in the top five, therefore earning qualification for the Champions League next season.
As it stands, the London side have 60 points, narrowly keeping them inside the top five due to goal difference, but with difficult fixtures against Liverpool, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest to come, they run a real risk of missing out on the elite European competition.
And if they are to miss out on reaching the Champions League, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has suggested that several of Chelsea’s rivals could make an attempt to lure him away from Stamford Bridge.
Writing in The Telegraph, Carragher claimed: “Palmer has played only 183 minutes of Champions League football in his career. That is worryingly low for a player of his calibre on the eve of his 23rd birthday.
“He knows that he is too good to be watching rather than playing in the Champions League. Chelsea must start satisfying his ambitions to take on Europe’s best, otherwise he will start asking himself how and when they will.
“Then it will only be a matter of time before rival clubs try to sign him.”
Cole Palmer has disappointed in recent matches for Chelsea. (Image: Getty)
Carragher continues to admit that he is surprised that links between Palmer and Liverpool haven’t emerged after the Reds have made it clear that they intend to be highly active in the upcoming summer window.
He added: “It has been suggested that Liverpool, who play at Stamford Bridge this weekend, should build for the title defence by breaking the bank for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
“It surprises me that no one has argued that Palmer should be on the new champions’ radar.
“Far-fetched? Too expensive? Most likely. Liverpool “going big” for footballers who are already established on mammoth and long contracts elsewhere is not their strategy,
“But predators will be circling and keeping tabs on what is going on at Stamford Bridge.”
