Cole Palmer to Man Utd? Liam Rosenior lifts lid on Chelsea 'frustration'

Tom Weber

• 23 Jan 2026 10:30 CST
• 3 min read

News

Liam Rosenior insists that Cole Palmer is happy at Chelsea despite increasing reports of homesickness and links with Manchester United.

The 23-year-old has been playing at Stamford Bridge since leaving Man City for €47 million in the summer of 2023. Palmer became one of the Premier League's biggest stars in his debut season at Chelsea, but the last 18 months have been difficult.

Palmer has repeatedly dealt with injury problems, which have prevented him from getting into a proper rhythm. He has been restricted to just 13 appearances this term, scoring five goals.

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed at the start of the month that Palmer could depart Chelsea in the not-too-distant future. In line with their player trading model, the Blues would cash in on him at the right price, and the player himself is open to a change of scenery.

Man Utd hold a long-standing interest in the attacking midfielder. Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada know Palmer from their time together at Man City and behind-the-scenes discussions over the feasibility of a move have taken place due to Bruno Fernandes' uncertain future.

Rosenior addresses Palmer speculation

Reports on the future of Palmer have increased since our revelation in early January, with claims of homesickness proliferating. Palmer was born in Wythenshawe in Manchester, and it has been asserted that he wants return to the Northwest.

When confronted with the speculation on Friday, Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior insisted that Palmer is happy and that his recent frustration is due to his fitness and not anything to do with the club.

"I've had numerous conversations with Cole and he seems very, very happy to be here," Rosenior said. He is very, very happy to be here. He's a huge part of our plans in the long-term. He's an outstanding player.

"Every player goes through difficult times in his career because of injury. I don't think it's any reflection on his quality. My job and the club's job is to get him in a place where he can consistently perform at the level he wants to.

"There was frustration in the Brentford game, not because he isn't happy here, just because he was in pain and he couldn't perform to the level he wanted to for the club.

"He's a great kid and an outstanding player but we have to make sure we look after him in the right way. That's why I didn't involve him in the last game [against Pafos in the Champions League]."

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