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Cole Palmer has been linked with a move to Manchester United in recent times but Chelsea are insistent that the 23-year-old England international is not going anywhere
Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe believes Cole Palmer could be the replacement for Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford in the future, despite Chelsea closing the door for the 23-year-old to depart Stamford Bridge.
Palmer, formerly of Manchester City, has been linked with a return to the north west in recent weeks, but the red side. The England international was said to be a boyhood United supporter so rumours over a move there seem inevitable.
football.london understands, however, Chelsea view Palmer as untouchable and are not open to allowing him to leave Stamford Bridge anytime soon. Liam Rosenior was asked about Palmer plenty last month amid speculation that the Blues attacker was unsettled in west London, but the head coach laughed off such talk.
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"Yes [he views Palmer as untouchable]," Rosenior said last month. "It's simple, Cole's an incredible player. I'm not surprised at the timing [of the rumours]. A new manager comes in and all of a sudden there's people unsettled.
"It's not true. Cole's here, he's very happy and I can't wait to see him back on the pitch."
Sharpe, though, believes Palmer could become an option for his former club Man United, especially if Fernandes, who was close to leaving Old Trafford last summer, departs in the near future.
"I've seen the rumours about Cole Palmer returning to Manchester United, he's a boyhood fan of the club," Sharpe said to BetBrain. "Maybe if Bruno Fernandes leaves Old Trafford, then Palmer could be an option to replace him, but if he stays then I don't see how Palmer gets into the team.
"Palmer is a really exciting player and I'd love to see him in a United shirt, but there are a lot of boxes that need to be ticked before they go and get a player of his calibre."
Sharpe also spoke about Alejandro Garnacho and how he has fared thus far at Chelsea. The Blues signed the Argentine winger last summer for £40million but he is yet to convince during his short time at Stamford Bridge.
While Garnacho has shown glimpses of his potential, the former United winger has made just five starts under new head coach Rosenior. Sharpe believes the 21-year-old's decision making - something he struggled with at United - is still letting him down for the Blues.
"Alejandro Garnacho has picked up where he left off at Manchester United," Sharpe added. "When he's on form, he's one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League, but one of the reasons Manchester United let him go was because of his decision making in the final third, which is something he still struggles with.
"He can become really frustrating when he gets into good positions in and around the penalty box. He'll get better in those situations with experience and age, but it's still something he needs to work on for now."
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