Cole Palmer has taken the Premier League by storm since joining Chelsea in 2023, but the England international’s career could have looked entirely different had he instead moved to West Ham United that summer.
Palmer impressed many with the brief minutes he played at Manchester City, the club with whom he played his youth career. It soon became apparent that the attacking midfielder wanted more minutes and as he could not find them in Pep Guardiola’s side, he started to consider a move away.
West Ham were a party that held a keen interest in Palmer, amidst rumours that their own Lucas Paqueta was a player appreciated by Man City. According to The Guardian, the Hammers turned down a bid of around £70 million from the Sky Blues for their Brazilian playmaker, but responded with an interesting counter-offer.
Initially, West Ham asked for Cole Palmer to join them on loan were Paqueta to move to the Etihad Stadium. In hindsight, it has become apparent that Palmer is more than suited to play as a number 10, something Paqueta often does for West Ham. So, why didn’t the deal go through?
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Why Palmer Did Not Move to West Ham
Paqueta has been involved in recent controversies
Cole Palmer
According to The Guardian, Manchester City’s preference, were Palmer to depart, would be for the Englishman to do so on a permanent basis. West Ham, meanwhile, seemingly only had an interest in signing Palmer on loan, at least initially, perhaps due to his young age and at that point, his relative inexperience.
It also seems that Palmer’s potential move to the London Stadium was entirely dependent on Paqueta’s future, with Palmer’s arrival only being feasible were the Brazilian no longer at the club.
City’s interest in Paqueta gradually cooled after the 2023 summer transfer window. In part, this could be due to the midfielder’s form, with Paqueta having struggled for consistency in the Premier League. It could also have been due to the betting inquiries that, now, have been looming over Paqueta for some time.
Paqueta faces a lengthy ban from football if he is found guilty of betting offences and given the money that City would have had to part with in order to sign him, they perhaps thought best to explore different options.
Palmer Has Since Become a Chelsea Star
The midfielder has been exceptional for the Blues
Cole Palmer scores for Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Ultimately, Chelsea were the victors in the race for Palmer, signing him to a seven-year contract for a fee that, without add-ons, was rumoured to be around £40 million. Palmer was put straight into the starting 11 by then-manager Mauricio Pochettino and since then, Chelsea’s number 20 has never looked back.
Cole Palmer Chelsea Stats So Far
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Minutes Played
It is hard to imagine Palmer in a West Ham shirt, given what he has since done with Chelsea. Palmer would have been a great addition to West Ham’s attack, but it is perhaps tougher to think where the Blues may be currently had they not acquired Palmer’s services, who seems set to be at Stamford Bridge for some time yet.
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 08/03/2025 )
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