Cole Palmer says he decided to join Chelsea because of Mauricio Pochettino’s ambitious new project and the opportunity to do something “special” there.
The England U-21 international made a late summer transfer, on Transfer Deadline Day, from Manchester City to Stamford Bridge.
Palmer, 21, signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea through 2030, with the option for another 12 months beyond that. Chelsea, who have now broken the £1billion barrier in just three windows under their Todd Boehly-Clearlake ownership, are paying £40million up front for Palmer with another £5m potentially due in add-ons.
The Blues have given him the No. 20 jersey, so he may get some playing time this Saturday when they host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Here we are, in the midst of Transfer Deadline Day. Get the most recent Chelsea updates here!
Keep Reading
Andrey Santos, a Brazilian midfielder, just signed a season-long loan with Forest. Denis Zakaria, who spent last year on loan at Juventus, wore No. 20 last season, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who wore No. 20 for Chelsea, is also on his way to Forest.
“I’m excited to get started and it feels great to sign,” Palmer said on Chelsea’s official website on Friday. I decided to join Chelsea because I like the sound of the work being done here and the opportunity it will give me to exhibit what I’m capable of. This is a youthful, ambitious team with high expectations for themselves.
“Cole arrives with experience of winning the Premier League and Champions League and adds further quality and versatility to our attacking unit,” said Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.This summer, he represented England at the European Under-21 Championships, where he displayed his talent and potential in front of a global audience. He’s more than prepared for this next level, and we couldn’t be happier that it’ll be with Chelsea.
At Chelsea, Palmer will be greeted by several former City teammates, including Raheem Sterling, Romeo Lavia, England U21 teammates Levi Colwill, and Noni Madueke.
“Raz has always looked after me, so I appreciate him,” Palmer stated upon seeing Sterling again.
He placed his arm around me when I was a rookie at Manchester City. For someone with his background and worldwide expertise to do so blew my mind.
He realized what I could become. He observed my practice and commented on it. Our conversation picked up a little. I constantly peppered him with questions, and we’ve remained in constant communication ever since.I haven’t spent much time with him in games, but little time we have spent together has been fun, and now that I’ve improved my skills, I hope we can accomplish some cool things together.
World News