Chelsea Nearly Missed Out on Signing Cole Palmer

Chelsea almost missed the opportunity to sign Cole Palmer last summer, as they initially prioritized two other players.

Palmer had a stellar debut season at Stamford Bridge after his £42.5 million move from Manchester City. The 22-year-old scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 34 Premier League games, even breaking a record previously held by Chelsea legend Eden Hazard.

However, things could have turned out very differently. According to ESPN, Chelsea only turned to Palmer after failing to secure Michael Olise and Mohammed Kudus. Olise chose to renew his contract with Crystal Palace, and Kudus moved to West Ham from Ajax.

Palmer was not part of Chelsea’s initial transfer plans and was considered only in the final days of the window. Brighton and West Ham had shown interest in Palmer, believing a £25 million offer might be sufficient. But Chelsea ultimately swooped in with their late £42.5 million bid.

Despite Pep Guardiola’s efforts to keep Palmer at City, the player was determined to join Chelsea. “He was asking for two seasons to leave,” Guardiola said last month. “I said in pre-season, stay. He said he wanted to leave. What could we do? I said stay because Riyad [Mahrez] is gone, but for two seasons he wanted to leave. Playing at the level he is now is exceptional. He’s an exceptional player.”

Chris Sutton believes Guardiola may regret letting Palmer go. “Pep rarely gets egg on his face, but it looks like this time he’s got it wrong,” Sutton said. “Palmer has been phenomenal in a struggling Chelsea team.”