Chelsea icon vows to 'have a word' with Cole Palmer over Man Utd as transfer links persist

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Cole Palmer continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United but a former Chelsea left-back has urged him to remain at Stamford Bridge and reject the Reds

Chelsea's Cole Palmer should reject Manchester United because of how Mason Mount's move to Old Trafford has panned out. That is the opinion of ex-Blues left-back Wayne Bridge, who has said he would "have a word" with the England international and convince him to remain at Stamford Bridge instead.

Palmer, 23, who is a boyhood United fan, joined Chelsea from Manchester City for £40million plus add-ons in August 2023 and he has since established himself as one of the standout players in English football.

Indeed, across his two-and-a-half years in west London so far, he has scored 53 goals and provided 32 assists in 120 appearances. Erling Haaland (120) and Mohamed Salah (109) are the only Premier League players who have directly contributed to more goals across all competitions in that period than Palmer.

Ex-Tottenham and England midfielder Chris Waddle said on Monday that Palmer would be "tempted" to move to United, given his affiliation with the club having supported them since childhood.

But Bridge has warned Palmer that a move to United might not be the best career move, citing the fact Mount has struggled since he left Chelsea to sign for the Reds in a £60m deal in 2023.

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When asked if a move to United would make sense for Palmer, Bridge said: "It probably makes sense for Cole Palmer because he's a Man United fan. But personally, I don't know him, so I wouldn't know what he's thinking.

"It might make sense for Manchester United – every club would love to take Cole Palmer – but it doesn’t make sense for Chelsea. As an ex-Chelsea player, I'd be gutted if he went there.

"I'd have a word with him and say, 'Look, remember what happened to Mason Mount — come on now, don't go anywhere'. He's the main man at Chelsea. Chelsea wants to build the team around Cole Palmer."

Palmer has seven years left on his current contract at Chelsea, having signed a new bumper long-term deal at the start of the 2024/25 season. The Blues were keen to tie Palmer down amid interest from United and others after a phenomenal debut campaign in west London that saw him win the PFA Fans' Player of the Year.

While this season has been a more difficult one for Palmer, he reminded doubters what he is capable of after scoring a first-half hat-trick in a win against rock bottom Wolves last month.

Next up for Chelsea and Palmer is a Champions League Round of 16 second leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. The Blues are looking to claw back a three-goal deficit after losing 5-2 in Paris last week.