One of Cole Palmer’s friends has vowed to get the Chelsea star to Manchester United and claims he ‘belongs’ at Old Trafford.

Palmer, a United fan growing up, joined Chelsea in a £40m deal from Manchester City in 2023.

Despite supporting the Red Devils, it was the blue half of Manchester who poached Palmer at the age of eight and took him through the club’s academy to the first-team.

But Palmer only made 19 Premier League appearances for Man City before selling him to Chelsea, where he has become one of the biggest stars in world football.

Palmer enjoyed a sensational first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 27 goals and making 15 assists – the most of any player in the Premier League.

England caps soon followed – Palmer scored in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain – and he was named the Premier League Young Player of the Season.

Palmer was slightly less effective last season but still scored 18 goals in all competitions to help the Blues qualify for the Champions League, win the Europa Conference League and then lift the Club World Cup trophy.

The 23-year-old struggled with form and fitness earlier in the current season and reports claimed Palmer was missing Manchester.

It was even suggested Palmer would be ‘open’ to joining his beloved Manchester United, with a return to Man City out of the equation, especially while Pep Guardiola is still in charge.

Chelsea tried to dismiss speculation Palmer could leave the club, insisting he is one of three ‘untouchable’ members of Liam Rosenior’s squad.

But Palmer has continued to be linked with a move and one of his friends has made it his mission to get him to Manchester United.

Manchester-based rapper Tunde spent some time with Palmer during his holiday to Dubai this week as some Chelsea players were given time off ahead of the business end of the season.

Tunde uploaded two pictures of him and Palmer together with the Instagram caption: ‘Bro from early.

‘1 day I will get CP to UTD back home where he belongs. Go ask him who his favourite team is.’

Following a frustrating start to the season, Palmer has looked back to his best in recent weeks, scoring a first-half hat-trick against Wolves.

Asked about Palmer’s future at Stamford Bridge last month, new Chelsea boss Rosenior said: ‘Is he untouchable, is he happy? Yes and yes.

‘It’s simple, Cole Palmer is an incredible player like many players in the group. Cole is here, he’s very happy and I can’t wait to see him back on the pitch.

‘Cole is very happy. I’ve had numerous conversations with him. Our thoughts are on how we can make this team better, how he can improve and how I can help him.

‘He loves being here and he wants to be a Chelsea player.’

Former Chelsea captain Ruud Gullit certainly hopes Palmer stays put, telling Gambling Insider earlier this week: ‘I don’t know what’s going on with Cole Palmer. Nobody seems to know.

‘If he continues to be in and out of the Chelsea team, then that suggests that something is going on behind the scenes and it’s not just his fitness issues.

‘It’s possible that he’s still a little bit injured and that’s affecting his form, but only Liam Rosenior and the medical staff know the true story.

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‘We haven’t heard Cole’s side of the story yet, so we’re in the dark with what’s going on with him.

‘I really hope he doesn’t leave Chelsea in the summer – I want him to have his chance to win big trophies at Stamford Bridge.

‘We can only speculate at the moment, so let’s see what happens between now and the end of the season.’

But there are those who would like Palmer to be on the move, with Louis Saha insisting he would be a brilliant signing for his former club Manchester United.

‘It would be incredibly exciting to see Cole Palmer at Manchester United,’ Saha told CasinoHawks. ‘He is just a terrific player.

‘If he does think about going back to Manchester again, I’m sure that he’s going to be exciting for United fans.’

For now, Palmer will hope to help Chelsea finish in the top-four – they arefifth with 12 games remaining – and enjoy a deep run in the Champions League.

Chelsea, who thumped Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup last time out, return to Premier League action on Saturday against Burnley.

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Chelsea star Cole Palmer scored a hat-trick against Wolves and has spoken about transfer speculation linking him with Manchester United.

Manchester United-linked Chelsea star Cole Palmer has dismissed speculation linking him with a departure from the club, after the Blues’ talisman netted a first-half hat-trick against Wolves.

The England international bagged all of Chelsea’s goals in the 3-1 victory at Molineux. His opening two strikes came from the penalty spot, as the Blues maintained their impressive form under Liam Rosenior.

After converting his first spot-kick, Palmer abandoned his trademark ‘cold’ celebration and instead charged towards the away end with his hands covering his ears, before blowing a kiss to the Chelsea supporters.

The gesture follows claims that he was experiencing homesickness and was prepared to return to Manchester with boyhood club Manchester United.

However, Palmer now seems to have dismissed those rumours. Speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the victory, he said:

“Everyone loves to chat rubbish, don’t they? I don’t pay too much attention to it,” Palmer said, when asked about his celebration. “You see things. But I feel like I’ve come from a strong place anyway so I don’t pay attention to it.”

The midfielder also heaped praise on new manager Rosenior. “Life under Liam is amazing, he gives us all confidence,” he said.

“Lets us be ourselves, play free. I’m sure when I’m back proper fit you’ll see the best of me. Him and all the staff give us all confidence on the training pitch, with his strategies, the way we play… I really like it.”

Palmer’s season has been marred by injury, with England star sitting out 21 matches in all competitions this campaign. However, he has played in the last four games across all competitions, starting the most recent two Premier League fixtures.

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He made a significant revelation about his fitness. “I don’t think [I’m 100% fit] just yet,” he admitted.

“Obviously people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but being injured the whole season is not ideal and when I’m not able to perform as I want to because I’ve been injured, and still dealing with the injury, but hopefully I can get over the injury soon by managing it. I know what level I can provide when I feel 100% fit.

“Not being 100% fit isn’t ideal, I still feel like I can help the team but when I’m back to full fitness I feel like I can go to another level.”

Speaking to the Chelsea website, Palmer added: “I’ve never been injured before in my career. This is something new to me, and I’m still finding out how to deal with it.

“It has been frustrating, I don’t feel like I’ve played a game this season fully fit. I’ve been going into games thinking, ‘Can I do certain things? Can I not?’ Overthinking it.

“The staff have been really good. I’ve been working closely with the physios on a day-to-day basis. They have all helped, and I’ll get through it.

“I’m not here to make excuses, and ”ll get over the injuries. I know what I can do when I’m fit, and hopefully I can get back to that soon. For now, I just manage it and get there.”

Cole Palmer scored a hat‑trick for Chelsea, and Bruno Fernandes has fuelled speculation by sending the midfielder a message following recent links to Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes has sent Cole Palmer a message following Chelsea’s 3–1 win over Wolves, in which the forward scored a hat‑trick. Palmer returned to the scoresheet in a season which has been disrupted by injuries so far.

The 23‑year‑old struck all three goals for Chelsea in the first half at Molineux, underlining the impact he can make on a match. During his first season at Stamford Bridge, Palmer netted 27 goals in all competitions, collected multiple individual awards, and established himself as a regular for England.

His performances even sparked transfer speculation during the January window, with reports linking him to Manchester United amid claims he was feeling homesick.

Although Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior dismissed those rumours, it’s clear that figures at United have been keeping a close eye on his progress.

Fernandes was spotted in the comments section of Palmer’s Instagram post after the match, where the Chelsea star shared several snaps from the game alongside the caption: “Just enjoy.”

The Portuguese skipper replied: “What a player,” followed by a clapping emoji. His comment quickly gained more than 3,900 likes and hundreds of replies.

Some fans jokingly called him “agent Bruno,” while another wrote: “I see what you’re doing here, mate.”

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