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Chelsea may be forced to sell Cole Palmer in the summer due to a reported clause in his contract, even after Enzo Maresca’s repeated glowing comments about the Blues talisman.
Palmer has been in superb form this season following his breakthrough campaign at Stamford Bridge last term. But after a strong start, Chelsea have slipped to sixth in the Premier League table following a string of poor performances in recent weeks.
Maresca maintains that securing a Champions League spot was not a goal set for him by the Chelsea hierarchy at the beginning of the season. Yet, it remains uncertain how the board will respond to such a blow.
And if they fail to secure a top-four finish, losing their manager might not be the only setback for the west London club this summer. TEAMtalk reports that some Chelsea players may reconsider their futures if they don't qualify for Europe's elite club competition.
More specifically, the report indicates that certain players' contracts - like Palmer's - contain clauses that would force Chelsea to entertain offers under such circumstances. The supposed clause in the 22-year-old England international's contract would only come into play if they miss out on Champions League qualification - though its existence has been disputed.
Chelsea's loss of Palmer would be devastating for the club, not only because of his goal contributions - he has scored 14 and assisted six already this season - but also because it would mean losing a player with an elite mentality. Maresca has lauded the former Manchester City starlet in the past, singling out his humility and modesty as the reason why he is able to maintain such high standards.
"I know Cole from four or five years ago as I had him for one year at Manchester City with the Under-23s," Maresca explained in December. "The best thing from him is that four, five years ago when he was with me in the Under-23s, he was one way and now after two years, 20-30 goals and everyone considers him one of the best, he is exactly the same guy.
"Loves football, humble, no strange things. This is the best thing for Cole and for young players, because today, young players if they play one game well, they already think they are [top] and they lose the balance. He is always the same, doesn't change, and we are very happy with Cole.
"It's remarkable. Cole belongs to that group that are not normal players. They are top players and they do things that normal players or us, we say, 'How can he do that?'"
Since making his £42.5million switch from his boyhood club City in the summer of 2023, Palmer has become one of the Premier League's most impressive players. He claimed the PFA Young Player of The Year award last season having produced a staggering 27 goals and 15 assists for a struggling Chelsea side.
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