Chelsea's £40m wonderkid left out of Southgate's latest England squad

James Shearman

• Updated: 9 Nov 2023 21:52 GMT
• 3 min read

Gareth Southgate has left Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer out of his latest England squad.

Palmer signed for the Blues for £40 million in the summer transfer window, leaving Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

He had shown glimpses of exceptional talent in a City shirt but he, like every young player, needed regular playing time in order to reach his potential.

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As a result, he joined Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea project and it has paid dividends thus far.

In seven starts, in all competitions, Palmer has registered three goals and four assists.

He is one of England's most in-form players and was thoroughly deserving of a senior international call-up for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers.

However, he will be made to wait longer for his first cap, with Southgate instead preferring to select struggling forwards Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish.

Why Man City sold Palmer

It came as a surprise to many that Man City chose to sell Palmer in the summer window.

As mentioned, he performed well on occasion for Guardiola's side and looked like he was following in the footsteps of Phil Foden.

However, he was not only allowed to leave the club, but Guardiola was prepared to sell him to a domestic rival - Chelsea.

The reason behind this move, according to the Daily Star, is that the Spaniard believes that Palmer is not as talented as 20-year-old Oscar Bobb.