‘Big slap in face’ - Palmer told how to become ‘great player’

Cole Palmer Chelsea 2025-26 Premier League

Cole Palmer has been made aware of what he needs to do in order to become a “great player”, with Frank Leboeuf admitting to GOAL that the Chelsea star’s World Cup snub with England will feel like a “big slap in the face”. The enigmatic playmaker remains a match-winner at Stamford Bridge, but his numbers have dipped year on year after making a dazzling start to his spell in west London.

Palmer joined Chelsea from Man City for £40m

Having taken the brave decision to leave his North West roots at Manchester City, after becoming a Premier League and Champions League winner under Pep Guardiola, Palmer completed a £40 million ($53m) transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2023.

His debut campaign in the English capital delivered 25 goals and the PFA Young Player of the Year award. That output slipped to 18 efforts in 2024-25, but Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs were savoured.

Cole Palmer England 2026

Palmer snubbed by England for 2026 World Cup duty

Palmer was an England regular at that stage - having netted for his country in the Euro 2024 final against Spain - but found the target on just 11 occasions during an injury-hit 2025-26 season and was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel when World Cup plans were pieced together.

The 24-year-old has been the subject of transfer talk - with a return to Manchester at United, the team that he supported growing up, being mooted. Chelsea have their mercurial No.10 tied to a long-term contract through to 2033 and have no intention of sanctioning a sale.

What can Palmer do to justify the hype & become a 'great'?

They are eager to see Palmer rediscover his spark under new boss Xabi Alonso. Quizzed on whether that will happen, or if the 14-cap forward was over-hyped too soon, ex-Blues defender Leboeuf - speaking exclusively to GOAL courtesy of ToonieBet - said: “I’ve talked about the dictator of emergency when you have a young guy that Pep Guardiola didn't want to keep, goes to Chelsea and created a big surprise to everybody, at the point that I think Pep Guardiola regretted that move.

“And coming from nowhere, that was crazy. But you become a great football player when you show consistency. And it's not only one season, it's two, three, four, five. [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, it's 17 seasons, something like that. We are still waiting for [Kylian] Mbappe at the end of his career to make sure we can name him as a legend.

“That's insane. But that's what it is. That's football. As I always say, the first time selected with a national team, ‘oh wow, I'm an international player’. In France, you need 10 caps to be named international. It's because you need to show your consistency at that level.

“And Cole Palmer, because of also the coaches that he had, the tactics that they made, putting him on the right side where it wasn’t his position, and some injuries that he had, wasn’t capable of keeping on working hard and showing his talent.

“You cannot deny it, every time he touches the ball, something happens, or something can happen. Now, I would say he has to go back to work with humility because I think it was a big slap in the face that he wasn't selected for the World Cup. So that should make him react.”

Cole Palmer Chelsea 2025-26

Chelsea hoping Palmer will be on their books in 2026-27

Palmer was left out of England’s 2026 World Cup squad alongside fellow creative influences Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White of Manchester City and Nottingham Forest respectively. They have been left watching on from afar as the Three Lions have made the last-32 of FIFA’s flagship event in North America.

All three will hope to have some part to play for the Three Lions heading forward, with a home European Championship in 2028 next on the international agenda, but are aware that they need to produce at club level in order to get the nod - with the 2026-27 Premier League campaign set to get underway on August 21.