Cole Palmer has been tipped to win the Ballon d’Or, play for Real Madrid AND become an England great.
The 22-year-old moved to Chelsea last summer in order to play more regular first team football than he was at Manchester City, and has propelled himself into a global superstar.
4
Since moving to Stamford Bridge for just £40million, Palmer has scored 31 goals and provided 19 assists in just 53 games to become one of the Premier League’s most influential attacking stars.
As well as becoming an England star despite having just nine caps to his name, Palmer has made an electric start to this season with a staggering six goals and four assists in his opening six Premier League matches.
That included a stunning first-half quadruple against Brighton on Saturday with three of those goals coming within just ten minutes.
Showing little sign of slowing down after his incredible first season in west London, Andy Goldstein couldn’t hide his delight about the player.
Speaking on talkSPORT Drive, Goldstein said: “I think he’s got an unbelievable future ahead of him.
“He’ll end up at Real Madrid, he’ll be one of England’s greatest ever players and he will win the Ballon d’Or.
“I’m not joking, he will win the Ballon d’Or in the next three years – mark my words, by the time he’s 25.”
Goldstein also suggested that Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham should be moved around in the England side to accommodate Palmer in the no.10 role.
Explaining why Palmer is so special, Goldstein said: “I could talk about Cole Palmer for the next 20 days and not get bored.
“I said at the end of last season, because I understand he’s a Man United fan, that we should stick £150million on the table and go get him but I don’t think £200million would get him now.
4
4
Cole Palmer’s season so far
Cole Palmer’s season so far
Matches played: 8
Goals scored: 6
Assists: 4
Matches won: 5 (drawn 1, lost 2)
“The composure he’s got, the self-belief, his arrogance, how nonchalant he is with the ball and the fact that nothing seems to faze him.
“I don’t want to go overboard and say he’s going to be the greatest England player ever but what I will say is that with the talent that he possesses and how effortless he makes the game look he is without doubt the most exciting, in-form Englishman – he should replace Jude Bellingham as a 10 and I’d put Bellingham as an 8 or 6 – he just has to start for England.
“I’m as excited about watching him as I was watching Wazza (Wayne Rooney) at 16 and Paul Gascoigne – Cole Palmer is one of the most exciting English players that I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Chelsea are next in action against Gent in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night – a match that Palmer won’t be involved in after he was strategically left out of Enzo Maresca‘s squad for the competition.
As a result, the hope is that Palmer will be fighting fit for Sunday’s home clash with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
