Cole Palmer took the Premier League by storm following his £45 million move to Chelsea last season. The English international scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists in all competitions, including 22 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League. He topped the Premier League in terms of the number of goals and assists combined with 33.
His excellent performance for Chelsea last season saw him being awarded London Football Awards Men’s Young Player of the Year: 2024, Chelsea Player of the Season: 2023–24, Chelsea Player’s Player of the Season: 2023–24, Premier League Young Player of the Season: 2023–24, PFA Fans’ Player of the Year: 2023–24, and Premier League Game Changer of the Season: 2023–24. He has also been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
Cole Palmer’s performance last season has been rewarded by Chelsea with a new, improved contract, which will extend his stay at the club for two more years, adding to his previous seven-year deal.
However, Former Premier League midfielder Paul Merson doubts if Cole Palmer can replicate last season’s form as he claims the coaching and defender will find a way to deal with him this season.
What did Paul Merson say?
The Premier League Icon said via SkySports: “He’s had an unbelievable season and he is a good player but this season every [opposition] team talk is going to be “Stop Cole Palmer playing.
“He’s got that now the whole time. And now you’re giving him a nine-year contract?
“I’m not sure [he will score 15 goals]. Last season, he was unreal. This season, he is marked.
“We’ve seen it a million times, like with [Emmanuel] Adebayor. He ripped it up at Arsenal, got a new contract, and was marked.
“It’s going to be hard. If he gets 15 goals next season I’ll be like “wow, fair play to you”. 15 is a lot of goals.”
The Arsenal legend couldn’t keep his word and criticized Chelsea’s new policy of giving players long contracts, which has become a tradition under Todd Beohly when discussing Cole Palmer’s new, improved contract.
He added: “It can’t be a better deal for the club. They don’t know what they’re doing.
“I’m not being horrible but how can you tell what he [Palmer] is going [to be like] in nine years’ time.
“I like him but they’re giving these players six, seven, eight year contracts. Some of them don’t even play, don’t even get in the team. That’s one of the reasons Conor Gallagher’s going because he only got offered two years.
“You know [Joao] Cancelo, three years ago at Man City, he took the game to another level. One year later, he was literally gone from Man City.
“You can’t tell what these players are going to be like in six, seven years’ time.”
Whether Cole Palmer can replicate last season’s performance will be one of the key topics for debate as the new season begins two days from now when Manchester United faces Fulham. Cole Palmer will get the chance to prove his doubters wrong when Chelsea faces Manchester City in their season opener on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.
