Cole Palmer acknowledges the fans following the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Chelsea FC and F.C. Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge.
It has been revealed that Cole Palmer was 'close' to completing a move to Manchester United as a teenager.
Manchester United academy coach Colin Little has revealed that Chelsea star Cole Palmer was ‘close’ to completing a move to Old Trafford when he was younger.
The midfielder started his career at Manchester City, joining as a young boy and making his way up through the ranks. He made 41 first team appearances for City, scoring six times, but never managed to establish himself as a regular in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI.
He completed a £40 million move to Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and has established himself as one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League. In his 78 appearances for the Blues, he’s scored 39 goals and provided a further 22 assists.
But, things could have been very different for Palmer, had a possible move to United had gone through when he was just 16 years old.
Speaking to the Talk of the Devils podcast, Academy coach, Little revealed what he knew about a possible move for Palmer.
“I know Cole Palmer’s family quite well, I know his dad and his uncle,” he said. “We (Man United) were close to getting Cole Palmer when he was about 16, believe it or not.
“He was umming and ahhing, and I knew he was a big United fan. He was at that age where you’re allowed to leave, 16 is it? They were umming and ahhing, Man City, about it.
“I think City, in the end, made him a good enough offer, but really he was always a United fan, and it was close, I remember speaking.
“I think City needed to show him a bit more love and that kind of stuff. We never quite got it over the line, but it would’ve been nice if we did, wouldn’t it?”
Palmer has been the talisman for Chelsea since making the move from the Etihad Stadium to Stamford Bridge. He was ruled out of the Premier League clash against Arsenal and the two England games through a hamstring injury.
He has however since returned to training ahead of the Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night (8pm kick-off).
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