Chelsea have rewarded Cole Palmer with a new contract after an incredible 2023/24 season - but fans can't believe the key detail of the deal.
Palmer scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists last season as the Blues returned to playing European football for the upcoming campaign.
Having signed from Manchester City for an initial fee of around £40 million last August, the 22-year-old was comfortably Chelsea's best player across the campaign and earned his place in Gareth Southgate's England squad.
Palmer put in a number of impressive performances off the bench in Germany, and scored in the final which England lost 2-1 to Spain.
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Now, the Blues have handed him an astonishing nine-year contract to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer initially signed an eight-year contract last summer, with Chelsea extending that deal by two years and giving him a deserved pay increase, as per Fabrizio Romano.
The contract is believed to be the longest ever signed in English football history, with the new Blues ownership known for giving lengthy deals to new signings in part as a way to circumvent Premier League financial rules.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has said that the extended deal for Palmer means player amortisation - the amount per year that clubs pay for a player over the course of their contract - can be listed in Chelsea's accounts as a lower amount.
The new deal caps off a fine 24 hours for Palmer, who was included on the six-player shortlist for the men's PFA Player of the Year award.
He will be competing with Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Rodri, Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins to win the main prize, with the ceremony taking place on Tuesday, August 20.
Palmer is also in contention for the men's PFA Young Player of the Year prize, alongside Bukayo Saka, Michael Olise, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Joao Pedro.
Topics: Chelsea, Cole Palmer, Premier League, Football
Ryan Smart