Chelsea star Cole Palmer has already spoken about what he thinks of Manchester United amid links with a possible Old Trafford transfer.
Manchester-born Palmer honed his craft at United’s city rivals, Manchester City, before he moved to Chelsea in 2023 in search of regular first-team football.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge, he has flourished, gaining a spot in the England team while also playing a pivotal part in Chelsea’s young side, registering 48 goals and 29 assists in 110 appearances for the London club.
So far, during the 2025/26 campaign, the attacking midfielder’s season has been disrupted by several injuries, with groin issues, a broken toe, and a thigh problem all stagnating his progress ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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So could a change in environment benefit Palmer moving forward?
As reported by The Guardian, Palmer is “homesick” and “pondering a return to Manchester” in the summer of 2026, with United a likely destination rather than his former club City.
The Sun claims that the player is not “enjoying life down south” and “misses” his friends from Manchester.
There have also been rumours that Chelsea want to build the team around Brazilian winger Estevao rather than Palmer.
Palmer, who is contracted to Chelsea until 2033 and earns a reported £162,000 per week, has previously spoken positively about United – the club he supported as a boy.
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2025, Palmer admitted that he relishes going to Old Trafford as he “used to go and watch matches” there as a child.
The 23-year-old also revealed that Wayne Rooney was his idol growing up, he said: “Obviously I supported United, and he was probably the best player when I was watching them."
A year earlier, in 2024, Palmer hit a hat-trick in a 4-3 Chelsea win over United at Stamford Bridge before being asked about his support for the Red Devils live on TNT Sports.
When asked about whether he was a United fan, he replied: “Yeah, when I was growing up, I was a United fan.”
He was then asked if that gave him an added reason to perform well against the Red Devils.
The Englishman added: “I just think to try and do the same thing to each time. But I’ve scored away and a few here today, so I’m buzzing.”
Despite his obvious affinity with United, whether a move happens remains to be seen, with Palmer likely to be valued at more than £100 million by Chelsea.
If he were to move, he would compete with Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, and Mason Mount for a spot in Michael Carrick’s side.
Topics: Cole Palmer, Chelsea, Manchester United, Football, Premier League
Luke Davies