Cole Palmer ‘will ask for transfer request’ as Chelsea hero doubts his ‘respect for club’

Former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly believes Cole Palmer “will hand in a transfer request” if he doesn’t see the Blues winning the Premier League in the not-too-distant future.

Palmer has endured a frustrating season, starting just 11 games across all competitions thanks to a number of injury issues.

He missed Chelsea’s win over Pafos on Wednesday with a thigh problem having missed a big chunk of the campaign through a groin injury and further games after breaking his toe in frustration at losing a game of FIFA.

New head coach Liam Rosenior will hope Palmer can get back fit and firing for the Blues as soon as possible, but Desailly reckons the England international could soon be looking for the exit and urged Palmer to “respect the club” if he does push to leave.

“If Cole Palmer decides to move away from Chelsea then that’s his business, but I just want him to respect the club, because they are the ones who have given him the tools to become the player he is now,” Desailly told Card Player. “I would love him to stay at Stamford Bridge because he’s got a key role in the team, even if Enzo Maresca used him in various positions.

“I believe Palmer wants more stability and a system that’s built for him, but he still needs to fully recover from his groin injury and get back to full fitness. His recent performances speak for themselves, so he needs to stay humble and come back into the team to help the club, regardless of whether he stays or goes.

“The question is whether he feel like Chelsea are going to win the Premier League in the next two seasons. If he doesn’t, I’m sure he will ask for a transfer request to a club that will build a system around him. For now, however, he needs to hit his previous levels for Chelsea to help them and their new manager through this period.”

Desailly also believes Chelsea have done a “spot-on job” in appointing Rosenior, but urged the new head coach to “avoid conflict with any of the players” in order to succeed at Stamford Bridge.

“Liam Rosenior is a good fit for Chelsea’s current squad,” he added. “The players are still all very young, so the role is like being an academy coach in some ways – you have to train the players psychologically and physically for them to improve and reach good levels.