It is not every day that a player is so open about being a fan of his club’s Premier League rivals.
Especially after scoring a hat-trick against his boyhood club.
But after firing Chelsea to a dramatic 4-3 victory over Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United in April, Cole Palmer did not shy away from the TNT Sport microphones. Instead, he merely confirmed what everyone basically knew already.
“Yeah, when I was growing up, I was a United fan,” the England international said shortly after firing a deflected shot into Andre Onana’s net with 101 minutes on the clock.
That was one of 27 goals the Wythenshawe-born forward produced during a remarkable debut season for Chelsea.
In the space of 12 months, Palmer went from a little-known prospect honing his talents in Man City’s academy to one of the posterboys of the Premier League.
A goalscorer in the Euro 2024 final to boot.
But while Chelsea supporters would be loathe to imagine their £42 million talisman defecting to their old title rivals, many a pundit feel that there is a sense of creeping inevitability about Palmer ending up at his beloved Man United somewhere down the line – even though he has just signed a contract to 2033.
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Chelsea star Cole Palmer is a Manchester United fan
“He’s a big Man United fan, isn’t he?,” Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher tells The Overlap, feeling that Chelsea may struggle to hang onto him should things go sour under Enzo Maresca.
“Is that not something Man United should re-visit in 12 months if it doesn’t go well? I think that could happen.”
Paul Scholes, the iconic former Manchester United playmaker, shares Carragher’s confidence.
He can also envisage Palmer pulling on that famous red shirt, even if Chelsea hold all the cards after extending the 22-year-old’s already lengthy contract this week.
Scholes also feels that the new England manager – whoever that may be – will step into Gareth Southgate’s shoes with a very difficult decision to make over the future of the Three Lions’ right-wing spot.
“I thought he was brilliant last year,” Scholes adds. “By far and away the best player (at Chelsea).
“I think he’s better coming off that right-hand side. I know there’s been a lot of talk about him as a striker. I think, if you’re choosing (the England starting XI) now, Cole Palmer has to be ahead of (Arsenal’s Bukayo) Saka.”
It says a lot about the quality and the depth available to Pep Guardiola in the frontline positions that Man City were willing to sell a footballer as exquisitely gifted as Palmer to another Premier League club.
Carragher now feels that there is very little to separate Palmer and a player who did make the step up from City’s academy to their first-team; a certain Phil Foden.
Man City may regret letting the England star leave
“It is one (Pep) got wrong,” Carragher argues. “Last season, when we pick our Team of the Season on Monday Night Football, I was swapping all day between Foden and Cole Palmer.
“I was thinking; ‘Every time I watch Palmer, he scores a goal. And he’s probably more influential for Chelsea than Foden is for City!’
“For me, Cole Palmer was basically the best player in the league alongside Phil Foden. He was that good.”
Fortunately for Man United, their own right-wing position appears pretty well reinforced heading into the new campaign against Fulham on Friday night.
Amad Diallo and two-time Wembley goalscorer Alejandro Garnacho – tipped to get even better by the iconic Ryan Giggs – are battling for a starting berth at present with Jadon Sancho, Antony and Facundo Pellistri also at Ten Hag’s disposal.
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