Chelsea could be forced to sell Cole Palmer due to a reported clause in his contract, despite Enzo Maresca’s repeated praise of the Blues talisman.
Palmer has been in stellar form this term after his breakthrough first season at Stamford Bridge. But despite Chelsea’s excellent start to the campaign, Maresca’s side have dropped to sixth place in the Premier League table following a poor run of form.
Maresca insists that qualifying for the Champions League was not an objective set out for him by Chelsea bosses at the start of the season. Yet, it remains to be seen just how the board reacts to such a disappointment.
And losing their manager may not be the only blow the west Londoners suffer this summer if they miss out on a top-four finish. TEAMtalk reports that some Blues players will consider their futures if they don’t qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.
More specifically, the report suggests there are clauses in players’ contracts – like Palmer’s – that would force Chelsea to consider offers in such circumstances. The supposed clause in the 22-year-old England international’s contract will become active only if they miss out on Champions League qualification – though its existence has been disputed.
Chelsea’s loss of Palmer would be devastating for the club, not only because of his goal contributions – he has scored 14 and assisted six this season – but also because it would mean losing a player with an elite mentality. Maresca has in the past sung the former Manchester City youngster’s praises, identifying his humility and modesty as the reason why he is able to maintain such high standards.
“I know Cole from four or five years ago as I had him for one year at Manchester City with the Under-23s,” Maresca said in December. “The best thing from him is that four, five years ago when he was with me in the Under-23s, he was one way and now after two years, 20-30 goals and everyone considers him one of the best, he is exactly the same guy.
(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
“Loves football, humble, no strange things. This is the best thing for Cole and for young players, because today, young players if they play one game well, they already think they are [top] and they lose the balance. He is always the same, doesn’t change, and we are very happy with Cole.
“It’s remarkable. Cole belongs to that group that are not normal players. They are top players and they do things that normal players or us, we say, ‘How can he do that?”
Palmer has become one of the Premier League’s standout players since his £42.5million move from boyhood club City in 2023. He won the PFA Young Player of The Year award for 2023/24 after contributing a mammoth 27 goals and 15 assists in a lacklustre Chelsea side.
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