Ahead of Chelsea's match against Liverpool this weekend, Jamie Carragher has suggested the club risk the disillusionment of Cole Palmer if they do not 'satisfy his desires'.
The Blues welcome the newly-crowned Premier League champions to town on Sunday - a status they have not held themselves in eight long years.
Enzo Maresca and Co. know a result is going to be vital in the hope of securing a top-five spot come the end of the season and with it a place in next season's Champions League.
Chelsea may have one foot in this season's Europa Conference League final and will do all they can to win that accolade, yet they understand it is a far cry from UEFA's elite competition, with a vast difference in riches and the kinds of opportunities that attracts.
And so does Carragher, who has sensationally laid into the Stamford Bridge club over their lack of success in recent years in the belief that star player Palmer will begin to question if he is at the 'right club'.
"Cole Palmer has either scored or created 55 goals in 67 Premier League games since moving to Chelsea, but there will be another statistic weighing on his mind during the next few weeks," the former Liverpool defender wrote for The Telegraph.
"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."
Admitting that it 'surprises' him there haven't been at least tentative rumours tying the 23-year-old to an Anfield switch - as they would be able to offer a shot at the Premier League title and consistent top-level European football - he continued: "Predators will be circling and keeping tabs on what is going on at Stamford Bridge.
"In the first half of this season, Palmer was neck and neck with Mohamed Salah as the best player in the league. His numbers have dropped in the last couple of months, but he is still creating chances.
"There was a moment during Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion in February which must have set off alarm bells in the Stamford Bridge boardroom. Palmer’s demeanour was one of frustration.
"It reminded me of Steven Gerrard during the more difficult periods at Liverpool, where he was looking around the pitch and realising team-mates were not at the required level."
Carragher have account of a saga he was witness to from the Liverpool dressing room between 2003 and 2005, in what would be a role-reversal between the clubs if applied to Palmer's scenario.
When the Reds were not at the peak of English football, the Blues and then-manager Jose Mourinho did all that was possible to tempt Gerrard to leave his boyhood club behind for a better guarantee of career success, in the end to no avail.
"On two occasions they were very close to doing the deal," Carragher said.
"How and why? Not because Liverpool were willing sellers. Not because Liverpool were under any financial pressure to offload any of their assets. Not because our captain and best player had a boyhood dream to move to London. And not because the club were unwilling to fight to keep their superstar.
"The reason the transfer nearly happened was because world-class players can only tolerate mediocrity for so long. Careers are short, and those with ambition who feel their talent is unfulfilled cannot stand waiting. They are not interested in hearing about 'long-term projects'. They make their judgment at the end of every season whether they need to move on.
"Fortunately for Liverpool, Gerrard inspired us to win the Champions League in 2005 and we were genuine contenders to win it for the next four years.
"Only the most naive will believe that the top-class players in Chelsea’s squad will be happy playing Europa League football next year. That makes them vulnerable to unrest."