Chelsea sign Cole Palmer from Manchester City in £42.5m deal

Chelsea have signed England Under-21 forward Cole Palmer from Manchester City for an initial £40m.

The deal includes a further £2.5m in add-ons and the 21-year-old has signed a seven-year contract with the option of a further year.

Palmer was part of the England side which won the European Under-21 Championship earlier this summer, and is a product of the City academy.

"I'm excited to get started and it feels great to sign," he said.

"I've joined Chelsea because the project here sounds good and because of the platform I will have to try to showcase my talents.

"It is a young and hungry squad and, hopefully, we can do something special."

"He is a fit for the project, a young talented player," said Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino.

"He expects to play more. He's seen the project for him to improve his game and be more involved."

However the Argentine said he will not be putting pressure on Palmer to deliver immediately.

"He needs time to settle, he's moved from Manchester to London, the club is different. We won't put pressure on him to perform, he needs to find his space in the team," he explained.

Palmer scored in both City's Uefa Super Cup win over Sevilla and the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal.

City manager Pep Guardiola had previously said that Palmer would not be allowed to leave on loan. West Ham had been interested in signing him earlier this summer but that was thought to be a loan approach.

"Cole arrives with the experience of winning the Premier League and Champions League and adds further quality and versatility to our attacking unit," said Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

"He has showcased his talent and potential in the most challenging environments and delivered on the international stage for England at the European Under-21 Championships.

"He is undoubtedly ready for this next step and we are delighted it will be with Chelsea."

Steven McInerney, Esteemed Kompany, external

It is never easy seeing an academy player move on, especially one that has been at the club all of his life.

Cole Palmer's move to Chelsea stings a little.

It won't for every City fan of course, but it does for me. I have been watching the highly talented youngster for years as he rose through the academy ranks. It had been a tough route to the first team, but it finally felt like the stars had aligned and his chance was beckoning.

Riyad Mahrez moved on, Juanma Lillo returned to the club as Pep's assistant, a mentor of his, and he impressed with a wondergoal against Arsenal and a man-of-the-match performance as City won the Uefa Super Cup.

It felt like this was genuinely his time! Only for him to then go and sign for Chelsea. Yep, Chelsea.

I cannot lie - it's supremely disappointing, but this is life at the top, I guess.

The money is good - £45m for a player who has only played a handful of games is good business, whichever way you paint it. That net-spend trophy is big news in 2023, I hear.

I still cannot shake the feeling that Chelsea have signed a brilliant footballer however. Elegant and slight, he has a wonderful ability to glide past people as gently as the breeze on a sunny day. He has magic in those boots. He will score goals and he will create chances.

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea is the right move for him, especially with a resurgent Raheem Sterling on the right. He could easily get lost among the 563 senior players they seem to have, but one thing is for sure - he certainly has the talent to beat the odds.

As a City fan, I wish him well.