Cole Palmer has dismissed suggestions he may leave Chelsea for Manchester United and insists he had ‘no plans’ to depart Stamford Bridge.
Palmer is a boyhood United fan and grew up in Wythenshawe, on the outskirts of Manchester.
There has been speculation the 23-year-old England international, who joined Chelsea in a £42.5million deal after spending 13 years at Manchester City, would be open to a move to Old Trafford. It has also been claimed he is homesick in London.
But United are not thought to have a concrete interest in Palmer. The Chelsea star is under contract until 2033, after signing an extension in 2024, and would command a huge fee while the club also have other priorities in the transfer market.
‘Everyone just talks,’ he told The Guardian. ‘When I see it I just laugh. Obviously Manchester is my home. All my family are there, but I don’t miss it. Maybe I’ll miss it if I don’t go for three months or something. But then when I get home I think there’s nothing there for me anyway.’
Palmer also addressed his future at Chelsea and revealed he had spoken to the club’s under-fire owners, alongside captain Reece James.
‘I’ve got no plans to move from Chelsea,’ he added. ‘We’ve still got a lot to play for.
‘We’ve got the FA Cup semi-final [against Leeds] and if we finish in a Champions League spot it puts us in a good position to sign players that we need. We spoke to the owners and they’re sure of the players that are gonna do it. Reece won’t sign a six-year contract if he’s not spoken to the owners and the directors.
‘Me and Reece spoke a lot. About things we need, players we need to sign and how things need to be. He wouldn’t sign a new contract if he didn’t know what was going on.’
Palmer scored 43 goals in 97 appearances over his first two campaigns at Chelsea but has since struggled for form, leading to claims he is unhappy in London.
He has managed just 10 goals in a difficult season for the Blues, who face an uphill task to qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea are sixth, four points adrift of Liverpool in fifth. They are also seven behind United, who they play at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
