PREM IN THE PALMER OF HIS HANDS
COLE PALMER was right to turn his back on Manchester City and make the switch to Chelsea which has seen him flourish into a true Premier League star this season, says Florent Malouda.
The 22-year-old forward moved to west London last summer for an initial £40million fee on a seven-year deal.
And since heading south, Palmer has wasted no time establishing himself as the Blues’ main man.
He’s racked up 22 goals in 34 Premier League appearances for the Stamford Bridge outfit to secure a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s Euros finals in Germany.
And that switch has been vital for his progression at both club and country level, says
Malouda (above).
The former Chelsea star, 43, who moved to Stamford
Bridge in 2007 under Jose Mourinho, said: “Would we have seen Cole Palmer putting in these types of performances for Manchester City if he had stayed? I don’t think so.
“These performances are a result of his increased game time and that wouldn’t have been guaranteed at City because they have so many attacking options.
“I think a better comparison is when Mikel
Arteta decided to leave Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager and become the Arsenal manager.
“Guardiola had to let him go for him to reach the level he is operating at now.
In football, you have to take these opportunities otherwise you can remain in the shadows.”
Chelsea also opted to axe boss Mauricio Pochettino last month after a season of mixed performances.
The Argentine eventually guided the Blues to sixth in the Premier League but was deemed surplus to requirements.
Malouda, who made 229 appearances for Chelsea, reckons the core of the young squad is already good enough to do better as the club eye silverware next season.
“I believe that Chelsea will be competitive again,” he added.“i believe that the club will once again be competing for the biggest prizes in football.
“The players need to change their mindset and they need to believe in their ability to compete for trophies.
“The potential is there.the quality is there but the mindset of the players needs to change. They need to have the belief that they can beat anybody.
“That is an adjustment that needs to happen for Chelsea to start consistently challenging for trophies because I believe this team has the quality to do it.”
And with superstar Palmer in their ranks, who would bet against them?