Cole Palmer has revealed he needed to be “persuaded” to join Chelsea when considering his options away from Manchester City.
The 22-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge for £42.5million last year and has made a huge impact for Chelsea, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in his first Premier League season at the club.
Playing in a more central role under Enzo Maresca, Palmer has seven goals and five assists in 11 league appearances this campaign, including four goals in a half against Brighton.
However, in an interview with GQ, Palmer admitted he was not initially convinced about making the move to west London.
“I wasn’t even gonna go [to] Chelsea,” Palmer said. “I got persuaded.”
Palmer nodded towards his agent when asked who had successfully encouraged him to make that transfer.
Once he had given the green light to Chelsea, it was then a frustrating period as Palmer waited for the call to tell him the two clubs had reached an agreement.
“I remember training on a Wednesday at City in the afternoon, and the news was ‘they’re trying to agree a fee,’” he said.
“Every time the ball went out I’d ask the kit man or the doctor if they’ve agreed the fee yet.”
Despite his stellar season in a Chelsea shirt, Palmer had limited involvement in England’s run to the Euro 2024 final, not starting a single game under Gareth Southgate.
After the Three Lions were held to draw by Denmark in their second group-stage match, Palmer was left confused by the decision to only give him 20 minutes off the bench in the following match against Slovenia.
“It was frustrating at England, to be fair,” he said.
“Not to say that the players aren’t good. But just coming off the back of the season I had, the form I was in, everything I was doing was coming off… so I’m not playing in the first two games even when the team was struggling, it was a bit like, ‘Why?’ Do you know what I mean?”
Palmer did, though, come off the bench to equalise in the final against Spain, a strike he predicted in his hotel room ahead of the match.
“I had a feeling I was going to score,” he said.
“Even in the hotel the night before the game, I was just looking at the mirror, just thinking, What am I gonna do if I score? Am I gonna do my celebration? Am I just going to go mad?”
