Liam Rosenior responds to rumours Cole Palmer could quit Chelsea for Man Utd

Liam Rosenior has poured cold water on speculation that Cole Palmer has grown unhappy at Chelsea and could be on his way out of the club next summer.

A report from The Sun on Monday suggested that Palmer was ‘unsettled’ in London, two-and-a-half years on from his £42.5million transfer move from Manchester City.

Palmer grew up supporting Manchester United and the 23-year-old was said to be missing his hometown and ‘open’ to the prospect of a sensational switch to Old Trafford.

However, Palmer is considered to be one of Chelsea’s ‘untouchables’ and only signed a new contract last year, tying him to Stamford Bridge until June 2033.

The England international has been nothing short of a revelation for Chelsea, establishing himself as one of the most exciting attacking talents in Premier League football since departing City.

It’s proven a frustrating season for Palmer this term, though, with groin, toe and thigh injuries limiting his playing time and impact for the Club World Cup holders.

Palmer made his first – and only – appearance under new boss Rosenior in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Brentford earlier this month, playing the full 90 minutes and converting a second-half penalty at the Gtech Community Stadium.

But Rosenior has been keen to manage Palmer’s workload and the forward was left out of the club’s last two games against Pafos and Crystal Palace in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.

Asked if Palmer had returned to Chelsea’s squad to face Napoli on Wednesday night, Rosenior confirmed: ‘He’s here.’

Later on in his press conference, Rosenior moved to reassure Chelsea fans that there was little truth to the recent rumours surrounding Palmer’s future.

Asked whether Palmer was both ‘untouchable’ and ‘happy’ at Chelsea, Rosenior replied: ‘Yes and yes.

‘It’s simple. Cole is an incredible player, like the guy sat next to me [Moises Caicedo] and many players in the group.

‘I’m not surprised at the timing [of the speculation] – a new manager comes in and all of a sudden there are people unsettled. It’s not true.’

The former Strasbourg head coach added: ‘Cole is here, he’s very happy and I can’t wait to see him back on the pitch.’

Despite the swirling speculation surrounding Palmer’s state of mind, Rosenior has felt little need to speak with Chelsea’s hierarchy over their position on the matter.

‘There’s no reason for any assurance. It’s so unrealistic,’ he explained.

‘It’s come from nowhere. There is no need to have the conversation. Cole is happy.

‘You can’t stop speculation but some speculation is so far from the truth and there is no point having a conversation about it.’

Chelsea's 24-man travelling squad for Napoli

Goalkeepers: Filip Jorgensen, Robert Sanchez, Freddy Bernal, Max Merrick

Defenders: Josh Acheampong, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, Jorrel Hato, Reece James

Midfielders: Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos

Forwards: Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrique George, Jamie Gittens, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, Estevao.

Rosenior is relishing the opportunity to test his wits against one of his Chelsea predecessors in Antonio Conte when his side take to the field in Naples.

‘I have huge respect for him, firstly as a player,’ he said of Conte.

‘He went on to have an incredible career. His passion as a player transmits to his teams now.

‘He’s gone on to prove what an incredible manager he is.’

On Conte being the last manager to win a Premier League title with Chelsea, Rosenior added: ‘I think for a club of Chelsea’s stature, every year that goes by, you want to win it every year.

‘The difficulty for any club is that there are loads of good teams that are competing. But that’s the aim for us.’

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