Xabi Alonso is set to take over from caretaker manager Callum McFarlane at Stamford Bridge, but he has already suffered a blow and a number of players are likely to look elsewhere. The bloated squad created by BlueCo will be significantly reduced in the coming months, with some big names potentially leaving for European football.
The player, who left City three years ago to spearhead Chelsea’s attack, has been linked with a return to Manchester in recent months.
And the 24-year-old has already admitted missing out on Champions League qualification means “everything changes” for the club.
Last month, he told TNT Sports: “I believe in what the club is doing. Hopefully, me and us (Chelsea) can win a lot. If we don’t get into the Champions League, a lot of things change. It really changes everything.”
With Chelsea unable to qualify for any European competition, let alone the Champions League, it will soon become clear what Palmer’s cryptic comments meant.
There were some questions about Palmer’s future at the time, but he made a move to rule out a possible departure from Stamford Bridge.
He spoke directly about the idea of returning to Manchester with United in an interview with the Guardian last month. “Everyone’s just talking, and when I watch it, I just laugh,” Palmer said.
“Obviously Manchester is my home. My whole family is there, but I don’t miss Manchester. I probably would miss Manchester if I didn’t go for three months or so. But when I get home, I don’t think there’s anything there for me anyway.”
“There are no plans to move on from Chelsea. We still have a lot to play for. We also have an FA Cup semi-final (against Leeds) and if we finish in the Champions League we will be in a good position to sign the players we need. I have spoken to the owners and they are confident in the players who can do that. Reece (James) will not sign a six-year contract without speaking to the owners and managers.”
“Me and Reese talked a lot about what we need, the players we need to sign and how things should be. He wouldn’t sign a new contract if he didn’t know what was going on.”
Palmer’s current contract with Chelsea runs until 2033.
