Cole Palmer to Man Utd: Should Chelsea let playmaker leave Stamford Bridge?

After 45 minutes at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday, Chelsea were outside the coveted top-eight places in the Champions League.

However, Cole Palmer’s introduction sparked an admirable comeback for Liam Rosenior’s team against Napoli, as the Blues secured a 3-2 victory at the expense of the Partenopei.

Just when it seemed the reportedly homesick playmaker was disinterested and going through the motions — not helped by groin and thigh injuries that have slowed him down in year three at Stamford Bridge — he set up both Joao Pedro goals as the London club turned the game around in Naples.

To fully understand how badly injury-hit Palmer’s season has been, one must remember that Wednesday marked only his second Champions League appearance of the campaign, and his first since matchday one’s 3-1 defeat at Bayern Munich.

Altogether, the 23-year-old has played 135 of the Blues’ 720 minutes in Europe, and there may not be much more added to the mix if reports of homesickness are to be believed, with Manchester United said to be in the frame for the boyhood United fan.

Here, Sports Mole considers the Chelsea playmaker’s long-term future, questioning whether the Blues have a tactical dilemma on their hands if Palmer stays.

Are Chelsea still “Cole Palmer FC”?

Since arriving from Manchester City, Palmer has been the undisputed linchpin of the Chelsea side, often single-handedly carrying the team through periods of immense transition.

Under both Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca, the Blues were frequently — and somewhat disparagingly — dubbed “Cole Palmer FC” due to a staggering reliance on his goalscoring and creative output.

The attacking midfielder’s knack for rising to the occasion in high-stakes matches became his trademark, with his early tenure defined by decisive performances against the traditional Big Six clubs in the Premier League.

Months into his third season, Palmer has already scored or assisted against both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Napoli.

The zenith of this period was undoubtedly the 2025 Club World Cup final against PSG at MetLife Stadium.

Palmer delivered a masterclass on the global stage, scoring two clinical goals and providing an assist to secure a 3-0 victory, firmly cementing his status as one of world football’s premier talents.

Could Palmer become a victim of Chelsea’s tactical rigidity and pubalgia?

However, the current configuration of the Chelsea squad presents Rosenior with a significant tactical conundrum, primarily revolving around the optimal use of Enzo Fernandez and Palmer.

When Fernandez is deployed in an advanced role, Palmer is effectively shunted to the right touchline, as opposed to his favoured inside-right channel.

While this wide deployment is feasible in theory, it often fails in practice because Chelsea seldom utilise overlapping full-backs under the current regime.

Without a marauding defender to distract opposition markers, Palmer frequently finds himself isolated and doubled up out wide.

This dilemma is further complicated by the arrival of Estevao Willian; there is a growing sense that the Blues may eventually empower the Brazilian prodigy in those central creative zones at Palmer’s expense, though whether such a gamble would succeed remains a point of heated debate.

Furthermore, Palmer’s effectiveness has been visibly blunted by the departures of Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.

The playmaker’s telepathic understanding with Jackson was particularly admirable, as the striker’s constant inclination to make vertical runs provided the perfect setting for Palmer’s through-balls.

Without that duo stretching the play, the 23-year-old has often looked like a playmaker without a target.

Compounding these issues is the physical toll of his third year at the Bridge; persistent groin and thigh injuries have sparked fears regarding pubalgia, a condition notorious for its long-term effects on a player’s agility and explosive power.

With his contract running until 2033, the West Londoners will demand big money for their star player.

While Rosenior’s recent remarks indicate that Palmer will be part of the Chelsea furniture for the foreseeable future, stranger things have happened under this Clearlake Capital ownership.