Chelsea’s sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart believe Cole Palmer has what it takes to one day win the Ballon d’Or.
The two men were responsible for bringing Palmer to Chelsea from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth £42m and he’s been worth every penny and more.
Palmer has taken the Premier League by storm and was named Young Player of the Year last season after he scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists.
Winstanley believes Palmer can win the Ballon d’Or
The 22-year-old was rewarded with a two year contract extension until 2033 for his fine debut season and Winstanley and Stewart have explained why Chelsea offer long term deals.
Palmer has picked up where he left off last season and already has six goals and five assists in seven games this campaign, and was named Premier League Player of the Month for September.
The former City man has established himself as a regular in the England set-up since he made his debut last November and was recently named England Player of the Year.
Palmer started both of England’s games in the Nations League last week, but wasn’t at his best and Danny Murphy believes he will be disappointed with his performances.
Conversation has centred around Palmer being the best player in the league and one of the best in the world, with the former City man among the nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or, and Winstanley believes one day he can win the award.
“No doubt he can, no doubt,” he told The Telegraph when asked.
“He’s got a bit of maverick personality on the pitch, you can see that. You can see it in training, you can see it in the games. He’s got that ability.”
If Palmer can put together another season like the last one and take Chelsea to silverware then he will put himself right in the conversation for winning the coveted prize in the future.
Next up for Palmer is a trip to Liverpool on Sunday with the Blues winless in their last nine meetings against the Reds with their last win at Anfield coming in 2021.
