Midfielder · #10

Cole Palmer

England · 6'1" · 24

$54.6M

From Manchester City

$177K

per week

Apps

Goals

Assists

His role

The Superstar

Palmer starts behind the striker but has freedom to move across the pitch. He looks for space between midfield and defence, combines around the box and takes most of Chelsea's creative responsibility.

His story

01
Hot take
On his day, he's the best player in the league. Maybe the world
That is not just Chelsea bias. Palmer finished eighth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or, ahead of Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Kane and Pedri, and FIFPRO picked him for its World 11. His strongest argument came in the Club World Cup final: two goals, an assist and the Golden Ball as Chelsea tore apart PSG.
02
Drama
England went to a World Cup without him
Palmer had been one of England's most dangerous attacking players, but Thomas Tuchel left him out because he had been “not as decisive or as influential” as before. England reached the semi-final without him, while Palmer had the first full summer break of his senior career. He returned refreshed and ran the game as Chelsea opened the season with a win at Fulham.
03
Record
His worst season still put him in the record books
By his standards, it was a lost season. A groin injury suffered in the warm-up at West Ham kept returning, and then he fractured a toe in an accident. He went from September to December without starting a league game, yet still finished with ten goals. Three against Wolves came before half-time, making him the first player in English league history to score three separate first-half hat-tricks.
04
Off the pitch
His famous celebration actually belongs to Morgan Rogers
The crossed arms look inseparable from Cold Palmer, but Morgan Rogers did it first after scoring a winner for Middlesbrough. Palmer copied his best mate a week later, made the pose famous and eventually trademarked it. That leaves the obvious joke: is he going to sue the friend who invented it? They grew up together in Manchester City's academy; years later, Chelsea paid a British-record £117m to put them back in the same team.