Cole Palmer left Manchester to join Chelsea in 2023. (Image: Getty)
Cole Palmer is in the headlines over the possibility of his return to Manchester, this time to United. Reports emerged this week that the Chelsea and England star is homesick in London, prompting rumours that the Red Devils could pounce and rob their rivals of their talisman.
Such a marquee signing would catapult United, currently led by interim boss Michael Carrick, way ahead of their trajectory. It is a signing that if possible, the INEOS chiefs would surely look into. But the 23-year-old has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2033 and there appears to be little reason for Chelsea to be willing to sell their creator-in-chief. Here, Express Sport give our views on what a Palmer to United transfer looks like for all parties involved, and decided on whether such a sensational deal makes any sense.
For me, it’s all about the timing. If we’re talking about this summer, does Cole Palmer to Manchester United make sense from his POV? Well they might be back in the Champions League, but it all depends on their manager. After all, how do you fit Bruno Fernandes, Cole Palmer, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha into the same starting eleven and have it function out of possession as well as in possession? Beats me. And crucially they’re all too good to sit on the bench for too long.
But purely from a sporting perspective, Palmer is still just 23 and could be the next United talisman after Fernandes for the next 10 years. He’d be their first homegrown superstar since Wayne Rooney. The transfer fee and wages would be enormous but his return at Chelsea suggests he’d be worth it long term. But only if he’s put in a functioning team will United truly get their money’s worth in Premier League and Champions League titles. It’d be a hell of a story if the move does happen.
There is no way Cole Palmer should risk tanking his career by going to United, a basket case of a club where his talent would go down the drain. In fact, I don’t know why any player worth their salt would consider moving to Old Trafford given the circus that has unfolded there over the last decade or so.
Palmer wouldn’t benefit from joining a rotten club like United, where he’ll be slowly broken down by woeful mismanagement and the has-beens of yesteryear running their mouths on podcasts every week.
There are plenty of lessons to be learned from the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba and so many others who have made that same mistake in the past.
It’s a bit of a moot point, really, because it won’t happen anyway. If he genuinely feels like he needs to go back up north, he would be much better off returning to Manchester City or even going to Liverpool than moving to United in spite of his childhood loyalties.
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Mason Mount swapped Chelsea for Manchester United – would Cole Palmer? (Image: Getty)
It’s a move that feels like it would make sense from United’s perspective, given Palmer is now a global icon thanks to his exploits at Chelsea. And if they can pry on the fact he’s feeling homesick – as per reports – that could certainly work in their favour. It feels as if this INEOS ownership have been crying out for a marquee signing and the Englishman certainly fits the bill.
Whether it works for Palmer is a different story though, considering United haven’t been battling towards the top end of the table for some time. If they can buck their ideas up though, they’ll certainly be amongst it when it comes to securing his signature.
Cole Palmer should stay far, far away from Manchester United. If he wants to leave Chelsea and move closer to home, that’s perfectly understandable. Very few consider a footballer’s personal life when it comes to the transfer market.
But go back to Manchester City, where you have already made Pep Guardiola and the entire club regret selling you.
Join Liverpool, who will be in the market for a Mohamed Salah replacement at some point in the near future.
Chelsea’s hierarchy seem more interested in turning a profit in the window and signing the next Palmer, rather than putting the right tools around for the actual Palmer to compete for major honours.
Old Trafford is not the dream destination it used to be, however. There is no clue as to who will be in charge next season and nothing in recent history has shown that United should be trusted with the career of a player such as Palmer.
He can simply do much, much, better.