Cole Palmer and Man United unpacked: The truth about Old Trafford links, why he really got a new Chelsea deal, Xabi Alonso's 'emotional control' advice after red card and how he must step up against 'Big Six' rivals

Despite the speculation snowballing in the second half of last season – and it was as if there had been an explosion at a rumour mill – Manchester United never did come in for Cole Palmer.

No conversations were held with Chelsea in the summer. Not about him, anyway. United negotiated for Andrey Santos. It took two days to agree that deal, worth £48million plus £2m in easily achievable bonuses and with Chelsea retaining a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

But according to sources with knowledge of those talks and any others which occurred in that window, Palmer’s name was not mentioned whenever officials from both clubs, such as Chelsea sporting director, Paul Winstanley, and United director of football, Jason Wilcox, spoke.

Which might surprise a few. Because it was said Manchester United wanted Cole Palmer and Cole Palmer wanted Manchester United. Apparently he missed Manchester, could no longer stand London, was tired of waiting for Chelsea to be good again and thought he belonged in the Champions League. He was the boyhood United fan who grew up worshipping Wayne Rooney.

That was what we were seeing while scrolling social media in the build-up to a summer when England manager Thomas Tuchel excluded the 24-year-old from his World Cup squad.

In fairness, the original suggestion that Palmer might be interested in United was not plucked out of thin air. It is said that at least one person close to Palmer's circle was happy to stand up those suggestions.

Cole Palmer returns from suspension for Saturday's match against Manchester United, the club he was linked with in the summer

Palmer's red card against Tottenham last weekend was the first of his career

Daily Mail Sport has also learned one former United legend who dabbles in media work was likewise privately claiming he knew Palmer fancied the move. This came at a time when it was unclear whether Bruno Fernandes would be staying or sold to Saudi Arabia.

Yet nothing happened, and now, tomorrow at Stamford Bridge, Fernandes will return from the naughty step to represent United, and Palmer from his one-game suspension to play for Chelsea.

Chelsea had insisted all along that Palmer was untouchable. They even handed him another improved contract earlier this month, despite his last season not reaching the standards he had set for himself.

He ended an injury-interrupted 2025-26 with 11 goal involvements in the Premier League, after securing 23 in the previous season, and 33 before that.

When asked for the reasoning behind that new deal – whether it followed interest in him from a rival or was to provide parity after the £117million signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa – Chelsea sources described it as a desire to lock down one of their best players.

He was already contracted to 2033. Now he is tied to 2034 on a nicer salary. Nobody in the Premier League has a longer contract, though as Chelsea head into another challenging game against a ‘Big Six’ side, Palmer could do with earning his pay rise.

We have seen this playmaker step up on occasion, usually when there is a trophy for winning.

Palmer signed an improved contract at Chelsea earlier this month despite a below-par campaign last season

In the 2025 Club World Cup final, where he made Paris Saint-Germain’s superstars seem mediocre compared to him. In the Conference League final of that same year, where Palmer had a ‘sod it’ moment as he turned on his creativity, telling us afterwards that he was sick of going backwards and sideways, as per Enzo Maresca’s patience-first philosophy.

Yet these glimpses of his genius have been fleeting in the Premier League’s most high-pressured matches. In 27 games versus Chelsea’s ‘Big Six’ opponents, Palmer has scored only two non-penalty goals.

Both of those arrived against United in his very first season when Mauricio Pochettino got the best out of him.

That is not to disregard the eight penalties he has dispatched which displayed his willingness to embrace extreme psychological pressure from 12 yards.

But statistically, his goals per 90, assists per 90, shots per 90 and chances created per 90 all decrease when playing Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, United or Tottenham Hotspur, compared to his Premier League output overall ever since signing for Chelsea in 2023.

He has had a fun time toying with Spurs on occasion, but not last weekend. Palmer was deservedly shown two yellows in that 2-0 defeat, Chelsea’s first home loss to their rivals since 2018 – one for barging into Mateus Fernandes, and the other for standing on Conor Gallagher’s ankle.

We get it – he was frustrated, feeding on scraps, hardly ever in the game. But this was a flashback to the ill-discipline which plagued Chelsea’s previous campaign under Maresca.

In the 2025 Club World Cup final, Palmer made Paris Saint-Germain’s superstars seem mediocre compared to him

With Joao Pedro sidelined, Chelsea need Palmer to step up now that he is back from his ban

There was nothing cool to that performance from a player who now sells his own ice cubes – it's £3.50 for four pieces shaped like footballs if interested – and Alonso privately reminded him afterwards about the importance of emotional control. Palmer apologised.

It was the first red card of his career, and the first shown to a Chelsea player since Alonso took charge in the summer, with Palmer suspended for their Carabao Cup penalty shootout loss to Liverpool on Wednesday. Another opportunity at a trophy slipped away at Anfield.

With Joao Pedro sidelined – and no specific date set for his return from a knee injury – Chelsea need Palmer to step up now that he is back from his ban.

Against the United team that a fair few thought he could be joining in the summer would be as good a time as any to repay Chelsea’s faith and begin banishing the ‘Big Six’ narrative attached to his name.