Cole Palmer has endured a tricky second season at Chelsea despite a standout first campaign following his arrival from Manchester City and there appears to be a new problem
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Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer has struggled for form over recent weeks(Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher thinks Cole Palmer is now trapped at Chelsea as his woes continue. The England playmaker was signed for a fee of £40m in 2023 and he enjoyed a stunning first season by scoring 25 goals in his debut campaign, winning the Premier League and PFA Young Player of the Season awards.
But Palmer has not quite been able to keep up that momentum this term under current boss Enzo Maresca. He scored 14 goals and notched six assists in the league up until mid-January but he has not contributed to a goal in his last seven games, a run that includes a missed penalty against struggling Leicester.
Palmer was then ruled out of the weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. Carragher now thinks that he has a fresh issue: should he want to leave Stamford Bridge in the future, he simply won’t be able to. Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Carragher said: “I commentated on Brighton vs Chelsea in the league a month ago.
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“I’m a big fan of Cole Palmer, and he played two passes early on, but the longer the game went on, you could see the frustration with his teammates. It reminded me of Stevie [Gerrard] at Liverpool at times, because he was so much better than everyone else and he got frustrated.
“Stevie was a local player, but he was never going to leave, whereas Cole Palmer isn’t. This is when I go back to those eight-year contracts, and whether they are good for the club and players.
“If you’re Cole Palmer, who’s got six or seven years left on his deal, and he should be playing for a team looking to win the Champions League, how does he get out?”
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer only signed a new deal in the summer
What's gone wrong for Palmer this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Palmer still has over eight years remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge having only signed a new deal last summer. He will be 31 by the time that contract expires.
In the immediate future, Palmer will solely be focusing on his recovery having been forced out of England duty. Giving an update on his injury ahead of the game with Arsenal, Chelsea boss Maresca said: "I don't think so to be honest. The injury is from yesterday's session, it's a muscular problem.
"We don't wish players to be injured but in Cole's case it can give him some rest physically and mentally. It could be good. He needs a scan - the scan is planned for tomorrow or Monday."
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