‘Something is wrong’ – Cole Palmer’s Chelsea exit claims get louder amid Man United links

Cole Palmer has never hidden his affection for Manchester United.

But you’d understand if the boyhood Red, nurtured in Manchester City’s academy while starring for Chelsea, may have seen his allegiances change somewhere along the line – it happens, ask Jamie Carragher.

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Palmer and Chelsea were a match made in heaven just six months ago.

With two goals in the Blues’ Club World Cup final win over Paris Saint-Germain and his stock rising as quickly as any player in world football, Palmer appeared to be in the right place for his development.

However, this season has fallen flat for the England international.

How have Chelsea fared without Palmer?

Palmer has started just 11 games while navigating around a niggling groin injury. His influence has waned and there is proof that Chelsea can now function without the star.

The 23-year-old was not in the squad for Sunday’s 3-1 win at Crystal Palace and worryingly for Palmer, it didn’t matter that he wasn’t there.

There was a notion under previous boss Enzo Maresca that Chelsea could not win without him, however that no longer appears to be the case.

And that’s not because Palmer is no longer a key player at Stamford Bridge but instead because the two parties are seemingly growing apart.

Rumours that the midfielder is unsettled in west London continue to gain momentum and Manchester United appear to be the one stand out suitor in the event that he leaves Chelsea in the near future.

And a move to his boyhood club could see Palmer reunited with Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox who was in charge of City’s academy during Palmer’s time there.

There are ongoing doubts over the long-term future of captain Bruno Fernandes which are also fuelling the speculation of a blockbuster move to Old Trafford with the Portuguese having an agreement with United that he can move to an overseas club for £57m this summer.

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Could Palmer really leave Chelsea for Manchester United?

Discussing the possibility of seeing Palmer moving to Old Trafford, talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook said: “The rumblings do seem to be getting louder about the fact that Cole Palmer, who’s a Wythenshawe boy up in Manchester, not particularly settled down in London.

“But I think United’s priorities lay elsewhere in the summer. We know the trio in the Premier League, in terms of midfielders, they’re interested in. Carlos Baleba, Elliott Anderson and Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace.

“So Cole Palmer, a different type of profile. I guess if Bruno Fernandes does go at the end of the season, which I would probably say is a 60-40 shout at this moment in time, then maybe there could be space for Cole Palmer.

“But it’s going to take an astronomical offer to persuade Chelsea to cash in on, who on his day, is their best player.

“I think they’re a long way from coming to fruition.”

Meanwhile, Jeff Stelling believes that a possible disconnect between Chelsea and Palmer at present could be the reason behind his slump in form.

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“Something is wrong with Chelsea though, isn’t it?,” Stelling said.

“I don’t know how important it is to play in the World Cup for him, but at the moment he’s looking like his seat is being taken by somebody else.

“I know he’s had his injury problems this season, but he has been, as Gabby would say, miles off it in terms of his form.

“A million miles off what we know he can do. Of course, he’s a wonderful, marvellous player.

“Whether that Club World Championship in the summer has just had a detrimental effect, I don’t know. But he’s not the Cole Palmer that we want to see and we love him.”