Reece James makes Cole Palmer transfer admission amid Man Utd rumours - 'Of course'

Reece James has been speaking about the future of Cole Palmer and the Chelsea captain also reflected on a "special" evening for the Blues in Naples on Wednesday

Reece James isn't getting carried away over any hopes of a third Champions League success for Chelsea.

The Blues captain was part of the squad that lifted the European trophy for the second time in the club's history almost five years ago with a famous win over Manchester City in Porto. Fast forward to the present day and James is the only survivor at Stamford Bridge from that unforgettable night in Portugal.

These days, James has more responsibility in the squad as club captain and led his team to a memorable victory in Naples on Wednesday, where Chelsea fought from a goal down in the second-half to get the win they needed to qualify for the Champions League last 16.

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While certain aspects of the 3-2 win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona felt similar to Chelsea's infamous 2020/21 campaign, James played those suggestions down but described the night as "special".

"It's super early in the competition [to draw similarities between the two campaigns], but it was a special performance today from a special group," said James. "Winning here is a super tough place to come and win, especially when they're leading.

“It's a super difficult place to come. We came here wanting to win, and at half-time we found ourselves behind, but we knew we had more to give in the second-half.”

Cole Palmer was instrumental in Chelsea's second-half fightback. The 23-year-old, who was introduced at half-time after returning to the squad following a thigh injury, provided the two assists for Joao Pedro in Naples.

Palmer has been linked with a surprise move to Manchester United recently with reports suggesting the England international is unsettled at Stamford Bridge. Head coach Liam Rosenior was quick to rubbish such speculation and James has now followed suit.

"Of course he's committed to Chelsea," the Blues captain said of Palmer. "He's a Chelsea player. Many players have speculation in transfer windows. It's normal for players. He's conducted himself really well. We're super happy with him."

James continued: "He's been in a difficult period. He's had a few setbacks. It's been slow for him this season, but we're super happy to have him. He showed what he can do today in the 45 minutes he played. Everyone needs to stay patient with him. He's an amazing player. He's still super young. He's going to improve with time."