Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s unexpected X factor

Wanting to continue its transformation, Chelsea, which spent more than 600 million euros last year, was still very active this summer. A transfer window made easier, it is true, by more than 460 million sales. The Blues thus attracted Djordje Petrovic (New England), Diego Moreira (Benfica), Ângelo Gabriel (Santos), Deivid Washington (Santos), Robert Sanchez (Brighton), Lesley Ugochukwu (Stade Rennais), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Axel Disasi (Monaco), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig), Roméo Lavia (Southampton) and Moisés Caicedo (Brighton). Good reinforcements to which was added Cole Palmer who arrived at the very end of the transfer window for 47 million euros from Chelsea. Winger or attacking midfielder depending on his coach’s wishes, the 21-year-old nugget partly compensated for the long unavailability of Christopher Nkunku until next November. An absence which cost Chelsea dearly at the start of the season.

Hanging on by Liverpool (1-1) and Bournemouth (0-0), beaten by West Ham (3-1), Nottingham Forest (1-0) and Aston Villa (1-0) at the start of the season, Chelsea did not count only 4 small points after 6 days and was only in fourteenth place in the Premier League. Cole Palmer was slowly integrating into this team and his coach Mauricio Pochettino, who had not specifically requested his arrival, left him on the bench. The quality is there, like the potential, but he must prove and show that he is better than his teammates. It’s difficult to fight for your place, explained the Argentinian about the man who won the U21 Euro this summer with England. Coming out of an extraordinary summer with the selection and Manchester City (scorer in the Community Shield lost to Arsenal and in the final of the UEFA Super Cup won against Sevilla), Cole Palmer discovered another less easy context in which to express himself.

Cole Palmer changed Mauricio Pochettino’s mind

Yet when he signed, the left-hander was excited at the idea of ​​showing the full extent of his talent with the Londoners where he was able to reunite with Raheem Sterling, his former teammate at Manchester City: “I joined Chelsea because the project here looks good, I will have to try to show my talents. This is a young and hungry team and hopefully we can do something special here. Raz (Raheem Sterling editor’s note) has always taken care of me, so I appreciate him. He saw the potential I had. He saw what I was doing in training. We started talking a little more. I asked him questions all the time and from then on we always stayed in touch. I’ve played with him a few times, not many, and now I’ve developed my game a little more, I hope we can do good things together.”

And it seems to be happening. Substitute in his first three appearances with the Blues, he has since become a starter in the following three matches. Decisive passer against Brighton (1-0) in the Carabao Cup, performing during the victory at Fulham (2-0) then decisive against Burnley (4-1) with an achievement and an offering, Cole Palmer took his place on the wing right with Raheem Sterling his counterpart on the left and Nicolas Jackson at the forefront. A start of alchemy that Mauricio Pochettino did not fail to salute after this final victory against the Clarets: “he is a very talented player who has quality and he surprised me when he arrived, because it was the day before the transfer window closed. the way he reads and sees situations is what the team needs in every situation.”

Cole Palmer is unanimous

Managing to change his coach’s opinion about him, Cole Palmer completely changed the offensive face of his team. At the start of the season, he managed to create three big chances in just 241 minutes (2 starts), as many as Mason Mount (Manchester United) and Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) over the whole of last season with the Blues . Author of two offerings in the game (and not in set pieces) in just six matches, that is already as many as Mason Mount (63 matches played) in his entire career at Chelsea. Convincing beginnings which contrast with his predecessors as the consultant and former Blues player Jason Cundy did not fail to point out on Talk Sports : *“Cole Palmer is becoming the player we hoped Kai Havertz would be. He seems to be exceptionally classy.”

Currently positioned as a right winger, Cole Palmer has a very complete profile and the return of Christopher Nkunku within a few weeks should not pose a problem since the two men can coexist. “I am comfortable in any offensive position. Whether as a No.10, on the left or right or even as a striker, I’m happy to do a job for the team. I like to take the ball and this role allows me to do that, but wherever the manager needs me I’ll be happy to play. he declared after his first start against Brighton. Three starts and already three victories for Cole Palmer who seems to be the missing piece in the Blues equation. It now remains to continue to demonstrate it over time.