Cole Palmer is one of the best footballers on the planet, and he has been for a few years now. Although he showed glimpses of his quality in fleeting first-team opportunities for Manchester City, his career didn't really ignite until his 2023 move to Chelsea.
Costing just over £40m, very few have questioned the transfer fee since, with the Englishman hitting the ground running at Stamford Bridge. Going from strength to strength, he's helped the Blues win the Club World Cup and the Europa Conference League. At the time of the move, however, having yet to truly establish himself as a key man at Man City, there were those who had their doubts over his ability to fit in at Chelsea.
Well-known pundit Gary Neville is never shy of hiding his opinions and he was one of those to question the transfer. He wasn't alone either.
Gary Neville Questioned How Palmer Would Fit in at Chelsea
Gary Neville
Speaking on It’s Called Soccer in 2024, long after Palmer had proven himself to be a star in the Premier League, Neville revealed that he had doubts over the move. Bringing up the £40m fee, he admitted that he wasn't sure how the Englishman would fit in:
“Exceptional talent, beautiful to watch. £40 million. I think at the time I didn’t question him coming to Chelsea; I questioned them signing another wide player.
"They’d signed Mudryk and all those players, Madueke, and you’re thinking how many more do they need to sign of this type? What he’s gone on to become, no one could ever have expected, and I certainly didn’t; he’s exceptional.
To get that level of precision and class and the final pass, the right touch in someone whose only really two years in doing this is amazing!”
By that stage, Neville had backtracked on his initial stance, making sure to lavish Palmer with praise. Even so, by his own admission, he had some big doubts about the player, and he wasn't the only one to question the move, either. Indeed, TalkSport pundit Andy Goldstein felt that Chelsea had overpaid when signing Palmer from Manchester City.
He claimed: “Is he overpriced? What was he 42 [million] plus? 18 games he’s played.”
Fellow pundit Darren Bent also agreed, as he labelled the midfielder's price tag as ‘bonkers’.
Goldstein continued: “Do you know what? That is. So many of these transfers are going under the radar until people are going, hold on, how much?”
As it turned out, Palmer has been worth every penny and still would have been had he cost Chelsea double the transfer fee.
Palmer in Running for 2025 Ballon d'Or
cole palmer chelsea-1
Indeed, just two years on from those major question marks over his career move, Palmer has silenced all of his doubters to the point where he could realistically win the Ballon d'Or one day. After all, he's been nominated for the prize in the past two seasons, putting him in the running for the 2025 award. Speaking after his nomination in 2024, he said:
"It was a surprise to be recognised at that level so early in my career. It’s a huge honour. Winning it would be brilliant, and I believe with hard work and consistency I could get there."
Although it seems more likely that Ousmane Dembele or Lamine Yamal scoop the prize this year, Palmer can't be ruled out. And even if he doesn't win in 2025, he stands a good chance in the future. For instance, Chelsea will be playing in the Champions League next season, which will give him a chance to prove himself on the big stage yet again.
What's more, Palmer tends to show up in the highest-pressure moments, and that won't hurt his cause. After all, he has played in six finals across his career, scoring five goals in that time, while also bagging three assists. Indeed, he scored in the Community Shield, Super Cup Euro 2024, and Club World Cup (a brace), and picked up assists in the Conference League and the Club World Cup (two). He's only lost two of those finals, too.
Speaking after the Club World Cup win, he explained how he loves to deliver in the big moments, saying: “I like finals and it happened again. Obviously it's a great feeling. Even better because obviously everyone doubted us before the game.”
He's certainly made a habit of silencing his doubts already in his career.