Chelsea fans haven’t had much to shout about for a number of years now, as they have watched their team decline and decline.
The transfer strategy of the powers that be at Stamford Bridge has come under fire after £1bn was spent on young stars, only for the team to go backwards from that Champions League-winning team under Thomas Tuchel.
But one man who has stood above them all is Cole Palmer, with Premier League midfielder Tom Cairney making it clear that he is an ‘elite’ player for Chelsea.
The Fulham captain admitted that he was ‘very surprised’ Pep Guardiola allowed the 21-year-old to leave Manchester City for Chelsea because he is a ‘top, top footballer’, as he told Premier League Productions (12/02/24 at 7:40 pm).
Whilst Chelsea have been splashing £100 million on certain players, in comparison to that, they didn’t have to shell out much on Cole Palmer because he cost £40 million.
That is currently proving to be the club’s best bit of business, and down the line, it might prove to be their best transfer under Todd Boehly because he just can’t stop scoring or assisting.
The England international has ten Premier League goals and six assists to his name for a team, who for large parts, have struggled this season.
That’s why Tom Cairney thinks Cole Palmer has been Mauricio Pochettino’s best player this season ‘by a mile’.
Cole Palmer’s performances for Chelsea
“I think he is elite,” said Cairney. “I think his football brain is top. The only thing you could say is that he hasn’t got the electric pace.
“But, apart from that, he is a top, top footballer. I was very surprised Pep let him go, with the history of footballers he has had in the past and he loves.
“He can score goals and make goals. I think he is a clever footballer in build-up play. He arrives in the box late. He is intelligent and very young, so he is only going to get better and better.
“Chelsea have got a gem here. He has been Chelsea’s best player by a mile.”
Cole Palmer’s cold bold call to leave Manchester City
The quick-thinking playmaker made a bold move by leaving a team as dominant as Manchester City for one that had just finished 12th.
At the Etihad, whilst Palmer wasn’t earning regular starts, he was earning enough minutes to make a name for himself and win himself more trophies.
At the end of the day, he had just won the Treble, so it can’t really get much better than that, yet the Man City academy product thought otherwise.
Plus, it needs to be noted that Pochettino didn’t exactly play him straight away, he had to bide his team before now being the first name on the team sheet.