A report indicates that Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s manager, initially had doubts about signing Cole Palmer, questioning the necessity of adding the attacker to the team. Palmer, who left his childhood club Manchester City during the summer, joined Chelsea for a hefty fee of £42.5 million under a seven-year contract. Despite City valuing Palmer highly, they recognized his desire for more first-team opportunities, leading to his transfer. Pep Guardiola hinted that Palmer’s move allowed City to secure the talented winger Jeremy Doku.
Adjusting to his new club took Palmer some time, but the versatile right winger, also proficient in the central attacking midfield role, is now enjoying his tenure at Chelsea. Notably, he has contributed four goals and four assists in 12 matches, including a crucial injury-time penalty against his former club, City, resulting in a 4-4 draw on November 12.
Becoming a pivotal player for Chelsea, Palmer’s impact has been praised by Jamie Carragher, suggesting that he could potentially become a significant figure for Pochettino, applauding his confident attitude. His outstanding performances also earned him a spot in the senior England squad.
Initially, Pochettino had reservations about Chelsea spending over £40 million on Palmer, feeling the team already had strong wide options, including Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, and others who could operate in wing positions if needed, like Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.
Despite Pochettino’s concerns, director of recruitment Joe Shields persuaded him to approve Palmer’s move. Chelsea is now reaping the benefits of having the young talent in their squad, with Pochettino occasionally using him as a playmaker behind the main striker, indicating his belief in Palmer’s potential as Chelsea’s primary creator.
Moreover, there are reports suggesting that City missed the chance to include a sell-on clause in Palmer’s transfer to Chelsea, potentially missing out on extra earnings due to his increasing market value, hinting at the possibility of a significant future transfer.