Cole Jermaine Palmer is an English professional football player known for his skills as an attacking midfielder or winger. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and represents the England national team. Palmer is highly regarded as one of the top young talents globally, and he is known for his agility, dribbling ability, and positional awareness.
Early Life and Career
Cole Jermaine Palmer, born on May 6, 2002, in Wythenshawe, Manchester, began his football journey with Manchester City at the under-eight level. He progressed through the Academy’s age groups and notably captained the under-18s during the 2019–20 season. Palmer received his education at St Bede’s College.
Palmer made his first-team debut for Manchester City on September 30, 2020, in a 3–0 away victory over Burnley in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. He scored his first goal for the team on September 21, 2021, in a 6–1 home triumph against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup.
A New Chelsea Star
On September 1, 2023, Palmer signed a seven-year contract with Premier League club Chelsea, with the option of an additional year. The transfer fee was reportedly an initial £40 million, potentially increasing by £2.5 million through add-ons. He debuted for Chelsea on September 2, coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute during a 1–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Palmer scored his first goal for Chelsea on October 7, converting a penalty kick and providing an assist for Nicolas Jackson’s goal in a 4–1 away win over Burnley. In Chelsea’s last match of 2023 against Luton Town, Palmer scored twice, marking the first time he achieved this feat in his professional career. He also assisted Noni Madueke in achieving his goal, as Chelsea won 3–2.
Palmer’s performance in this match saw him reach double figures in total Premier League goal contributions, becoming the fifth Chelsea player aged 21 or under to do so and the first since Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount in the 2019–20 season.
Palmer’s outstanding performances in December 2023, including four goals and two assists, earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award. His second goal against Luton Town also earned him the Premier League Goal of the Month award.
Cole Palmer’s impressive performance has helped Chelsea climb into the top 10 in the Premier League. Although their chances for a Champions League berth remain slim, introducing four additional slots for the 2024/2025 season offers a new opportunity for qualification. Fans interested in betting can explore these possibilities using promotional offers like the sleeper promo code
Palmer’s 2024 Season
On January 23, 2024, Palmer scored two goals (a brace) in the EFL Cup semi-finals as Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough 6–1 (6–2 on aggregate) to advance to the final at Wembley Stadium. He scored his tenth goal of the Premier League season on February 4, becoming the first Chelsea player aged 21 or under to achieve this milestone in a single Premier League season. Palmer was honored as the Men’s Young Player of the Year at the 2024 London Football Awards.
By assisting Axel Disasi’s goal against Brentford on March 2, Palmer surpassed Arjen Robben’s record for the most goal contributions in a season by a Chelsea player aged 21 or younger, with a total of 16 contributions in the 2004–05 season. On April 4, 2024, Palmer was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for the second time after his impressive performances in March, which included three goals and two assists.
Later that day, Palmer scored his first career hat-trick, including two goals scored deep into added time, in a 4–3 home victory against Manchester United. This achievement made him the 200th different player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick and the third youngest to do so in a match against Manchester United.
On April 15, Palmer scored his second career hat-trick against Everton in a 6–0 home win, finishing the match with four goals. He became the 31st Premier League player to score four or more goals in a single league game and the first Chelsea player to score two Premier League hat-tricks in a season.
Palmer also set a record for the fastest perfect hat-trick in Premier League history, completing it within 29 minutes, and became the first Chelsea player to score in seven consecutive home matches. Additionally, he became the third player in Chelsea’s history to score at least 20 goals in his debut season, following Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2000–01 and Diego Costa in 2014–15.
Chelsea’s Reliance on Cole Palmer
The 21-year-old attacker has been Chelsea’s top performer, scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists in the Premier League. This means he has been directly involved in an impressive 47.5% of the team’s league goals.
Palmer’s influence extends beyond scoring. Chelsea averages 2.2 goals per game with him in the lineup, compared to 1.3 without him. The win ratio also drops from 45.5% to 37.5%, and points per match decreases from 1.57 to 1.38.
Final Thoughts
In 2024, Cole Palmer has been in red-hot form and has already helped Chelsea out of crisis several times through his sheer brilliance and class. Palmer has established himself as the key player in the Blues squad, and the club relies on him heavily for the remainder of the season.