Paul Merson says that Chelsea are in real danger of losing their most valuable player, Cole Palmer, at the end of the season. The ex-Arsenal player has hinted that Palmer will leave Stamford Bridge for Manchester United if the Blues don’t make it to the Champions League.
For a few weeks now, there have been rumours that the 23-year-old England international will leave west London. Chelsea are in sixth place and are 19 points behind Manchester City. They can only get a maximum of 15 points from their last five games.
Their situation got worse on Saturday night when they lost 1-0 to Manchester United at home at Stamford Bridge. Michael Carrick’s Red Devils, on the other hand, have climbed to third place with 58 points from 33 games, almost guaranteeing their return to Europe’s top competition.
Merson made it clear that he thinks Palmer’s time at the Bridge is running out:
“Do you think Cole Palmer will be at Chelsea playing in the Europa Conference League? I don’t think so. Manchester United will get into the Champions League, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was playing there next season.”
Palmer’s problems this season support Merson’s point of view. He has only scored nine goals and assisted one in 22 Premier League games because of ongoing groin problems. Since Liam Rosenior took over as manager in January, the attacking midfielder, who won the Golden Ball at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, has reportedly become unhappy with the way he plays.
Chelsea Brace For £150 Million Palmer Bidding War This Summer
According to reports from The Sun, Palmer is worth £150 million, and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are now also in the running for the Wythenshawe-born playmaker, along with Manchester United. Jason Wilcox, the Red Devils’ director of football, has a strong connection to the England star because he used to run the academy at Manchester City while Palmer was rising through the ranks.
Palmer is under contract with the Blues for about £200,000 a week, so any team that wants him will have to convince Chelsea to let their star player go. The 23-year-old is a lifelong United fan, but he has insisted that he is not homesick after rumours revealed that misses his family and friends in Manchester. He scored an impressive 37 league goals in his first two seasons at the Bridge, but this season has been full of injuries.
Chelsea will probably ask for a British-record fee to let him go. Recent reports have put the value of a “record” offer at around £125 million and a mind-boggling £200 million. The Blues play Brighton at home on Tuesday night in a game they must win, but their chances of making it to the top of European football seem very slim. If they don’t finish in the top five, Palmer’s departure could become a matter of when, not if.