LIAM ROSENIOR SPEAKS: "COLE PALMER IS HAPPY AND SETTLED," ENDING MANCHESTER UNITED RUMORS
Cole Palmer is back! Chelsea travel to Naples for a must-win UCL clash. Discover Liam Rosenior’s stance on those Man Utd rumours.
Cole Palmer is heading to Naples with Chelsea for their high-stakes Champions League clash against Napoli on Wednesday night.
Chelsea have to win in Italy if they want to lock in a spot in the knockout rounds and dodge that extra two-legged playoff next month. Still, even a win doesn't guarantee anything—Chelsea sits on 13 points, right alongside seven other teams. What happens depends on goal difference and how the rest of the matches play out, so it could all come down to the wire at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Liam Rosenior, though, is feeling a lot better now that Palmer’s back in the squad. The 23-year-old midfielder has battled muscle injuries all season and sat out the last two games—Pafos and Crystal Palace—thanks to a thigh issue. But Palmer trained at Cobham on both Monday and Tuesday and then hopped on the plane to Italy.
Rosenior, who used to manage Hull City and Strasbourg, didn’t hold back when talking about Palmer’s importance to the team. He put it simply: “Yes and yes. Cole is an incredible player. I’m not surprised at the timing—a new manager comes in, and suddenly people think the player is unsettled. It’s just not true.
"There’s no reason for any assurances. It’s so unrealistic. This has come out of nowhere. There’s no need for the conversation. Cole’s happy.
"You can’t stop people talking, but some of this speculation is so far off, it’s not even worth discussing.”
That’s Rosenior’s answer to all the rumours swirling that Palmer wants out of London and might be looking to head back up north. There’s even been talk of him joining Manchester United, which would be wild considering he grew up at City.
Here’s who’s in Chelsea’s travelling squad:
Goalkeepers: Filip Jorgensen, Robert Sanchez, Freddy Bernal, Max Merrick
Defenders: Josh Acheampong, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, Jorrel Hato, Reece James
Midfielders: Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Andrey Santos
Forwards: Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrique George, Jamie Gittens, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, Estevao Willian
LIAM ROSENIOR’S "DETAILED TALKS" WITH CHELSEA LEADERSHIP REVEAL AGGRESSIVE SUMMER TRANSFER STRATEGY
Liam Rosenior confirms no Chelsea players want to leave, including Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, despite UCL exit.
Liam Rosenior is currently engaged in thorough discussions with Chelsea’s leadership about their plans for the summer transfer window. Interestingly, none of the players has approached him expressing a desire to leave.
After Chelsea’s exit from the Champions League last-16 against Paris Saint-Germain, speculation swirled around Enzo Fernandez’s future, while names like Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo have also been linked with moves away since Rosenior took charge in January. Ahead of their trip to Everton, Rosenior addressed questions about possible departures if the team misses out on Europe’s top competition again. He also spoke about the ongoing efforts to bring new players in.
“We're having very detailed talks about where we need to strengthen,” he said, referring to conversations with the sporting director team, headed by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. “I’ve shared my thoughts on what’s needed, and we’re mostly aligned on the approach, which is encouraging. But the priority is also handling the present properly. It’s crucial to be in a good spot now. Planning is important, but so is winning in the moment. That’s why I’m here, and I’m having positive discussions with ownership and the sporting directors about it.”
Rosenior emphasised that key players like Enzo Fernández want to remain at Chelsea. After Fernandez’s recent interview with ESPN Argentina, where he was noncommittal about his future following the heavy loss to PSG, Rosenior reached out to him personally.
“Our plans don’t hinge solely on qualifying for the Champions League; there are many variables,” Rosenior explained. “We need to make the best of the situation we’re in and stay as strong as possible. I maintain a close relationship with the players; we talk beyond football about their families and their lives. I’m particularly close with Enzo and the others. Since I arrived, no one has told me they want to leave in the summer. The focus is really on improving together as a team and figuring out what it takes to win right now.”
When asked specifically if that applies to Fernandez, Palmer, and Caicedo, Rosenior was clear: “They love it here.”
WHY ENZO FERNANDEZ REFUSES TO COMMIT TO CHELSEA’S FUTURE PROJECT
Enzo Fernandez has sparked Chelsea exit fears after refusing to commit to his future following a 2-8 defeat to PSG.
Chelsea fans barely had time to process a brutal 8-2 Champions League thrashing by PSG on Tuesday when vice-captain Enzo Fernandez stirred things up even more. ESPN Argentina asked him about his future, and instead of assurance, Fernandez left everyone guessing about whether he’d still be at Stamford Bridge next season.
His answer? “I don’t know. There are eight games left, and the FA Cup. There’s the World Cup, and then we’ll see.” Not exactly what supporters needed to hear after a rough night. Honestly, Enzo, now’s probably not the best time for uncertainty.
People have been gossiping about Fernandez’s next move for a while now. Real Madrid and PSG keep cropping up as possible destinations, despite Chelsea sources insisting they won’t sell him. He’s locked into a contract until 2032, but if he pushes for an exit, who knows if that changes.
Fernandez holds a hefty price tag of £107 million; when he arrived in January 2023, it was a British record at the time. He’s backed it up this season, stacking up 12 goals, 6 assists, and playing more minutes than anyone else on the squad.
Still, Chelsea has been searching for someone who can play that No. 10 role where Fernandez has spent most of the season. Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers is on their wishlist, though nothing’s happened yet. Rogers, 23 and once a Manchester City academy kid, has been lighting it up at Villa lately. He signed a contract extension in November, but rumours about his future just won’t die.
Rogers is definitely on Chelsea’s radar. If Fernandez leaves this summer, and really, that’s still wide open; Rogers could be a target.
You can expect Chelsea to be busy in the market soon. They need a centre-back after missing out on Jeremy Jacquet in January. Douglas Luiz was briefly considered but wound up at Villa, so midfield is still in the mix. Plus, given their attacking troubles this season, they’ll be looking to upgrade up front too.
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