Chelsea will be looking to bring in some quality in the summer transfer window following another poor season under BlueCo. There is a possibility that the Blues can finish outside the top 10, in a campaign when Champions League qualification might have been easier than ever before.
If Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish in fifth place, six teams from England will play in Europe’s elite competition next season. Yet somehow, this Chelsea team, assembled after spending north of a billion pounds, is set to miss out.
Of course, missing out on Champions League football will have major financial implications. And it could lead to the departure of key players. One who looks unsettled and lost at the moment is Cole Palmer.
Arguably the best player in England during his first 18 months at Chelsea, Palmer has struggled over the past year and a half. There have been flashes of quality here and there. The match-winning performance in the Club World Cup final against PSG. The display against Bayern Munich away at the Allianz Arena earlier this season. But overall, he looks a shadow of himself and has been linked with a move away.
Manchester United make Cole Palmer transfer decision
Palmer has been touted to make a return to Manchester for a while now. He grew up supporting Man Utd and has been tipped to join them as they look like a team on the rise.
Obviously, Chelsea would not want to see Palmer leave, especially to join one of their rivals. On the other hand, it looks like Manchester United are not particularly keen on the move either.
According to the Mirror, Manchester United have ruled out a summer move for Palmer. The club chiefs have decided that trying to sign the Chelsea midfielder is not one of their priorities.
Chelsea need Palmer to return to his best
At the top of his game, Palmer is one of the best in the world. But unfortunately, we have not seen that form for a while. It is worth noting that he has been dealing with a persistent groin issue for a while.
At the moment, it just feels like he is missing his natural instincts and is short on confidence as well. So, a summer off could do him a world of good. He is one of those players who has played constant football for years now. And with the growing fixture list, it has not helped.
Palmer is not the only big-name youngster who has struggled this season. Just look at Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, two other mercurial Premier League talents who have looked tired and uninspired this season. To be fair, the latter has rediscovered his form in recent weeks and is contributing to Arsenal again. But the point stands.
Unfortunately, a summer off for Palmer would mean missing the World Cup. If that does happen, it might further convince him that he needs to leave Chelsea.
Whoever the next Chelsea manager is, one of their first tasks will be to get the best out of Palmer once again. They need to find the best role for him and also find a way to restore his confidence.
