Mauricio Pochettino believes his squad will be “complete” after Chelsea finalised a surprise late deal for Cole Palmer, but fitting him in at Stamford Bridge may be a puzzle.
The Blues identified the forward as a transfer target weeks ago and their interest has been driven by talent spotter Joe Shields, who knows the 21-year-old from his time as head of academy recruitment and talent management at Manchester City.
There is no doubt Palmer is a talent. He was one of England’s best players in their European Under-21 Championship triumph this summer, he scored a brilliant goal against Arsenal in the Community Shield this month and some have compared him to Phil Foden.
But £45million is a lot, given he has made just three Premier League starts, and it is not obvious where he fits in at Chelsea among their glut of attacking options.
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As their transfer spending since last summer nears £1billion, do Chelsea really need to splash out more money on yet another forward?
Palmer’s best position is as a right winger or as a No10. For a wide spot, when everyone is fit, he will be competing with Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and even Ian Maatsen and new-look wide player Ben Chilwell.
Sterling looks to have nailed down the spot on the right after a strong start to the season. Madueke deputised for him in Wednesday night’s 2-1 win against AFC Wimbledon, winning and scoring a penalty to help Chelsea avoid a Carabao Cup shock at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking after he scored in the Super Cup this month, Palmer admitted his City future could depend on his game time and said: “I just want to play football.”
So his move to Chelsea, where there is arguably more competition for a regular starting spot than there is at the Etihad, feels like a risky move for his career.
Palmer will, of course, back himself to make his mark at Stamford Bridge, but it is a brave move for a player who has played 41 times for City, scoring six goals, since his debut in 2020.
Selling Palmer is also a risk for City. If he becomes a star, then they will have let him leave for a relatively modest sum.
The move is also a gamble for Chelsea, who will get another young forward signed to a six or seven-year contract.
