Cole Palmer was Chelsea’s best player last season (Picture: Getty)
Cole Palmer has backed a forgotten Chelsea signing to revive his career following a long-awaited return to Premier League action.
Chelsea have spent more than £1billion on new signings since Todd Boehly’s takeover in May 2022, with the American responsible for bringing almost 30 new players to Stamford Bridge.
While some – like former Manchester City star Palmer – have impressed, the majority have either underwhelmed or been expensive flops.
One who leans towards the latter is Romeo Lavia, who has made just one appearance for Chelsea since joining the Blues in a £53m deal from Southampton last summer.
Lavia was handed a staggering seven-year contract by Chelsea after impressing for the Saints despite their relegation from the Premier League in 2022-23.
Liverpool also made multiple offers for the Belgian midfielder but may have dodged a bullet as Lavia has suffered numerous injury issues this season, most recently struggling with a thigh problem that kept him sidelined from December onwards.
But Palmer believes Lavia can turn his Chelsea career around once fully fit and ultimately justify his £53m price tag.
Romeo Lavia has made just one appearance for Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
‘One person I’ve played with [who is good] is Romeo Lavia,’ the Premier League young player of the season told SPORTbible.
‘We’ve not seen him this season because he’s been injured for a full year but I think he’s one that, when he gets playing everyone will think, “Oh, he’s really good”.’
While Chelsea’s owners may be regretting some of their signings, they pulled off a masterstroke by bringing Palmer to Stamford Bridge for £40m.
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The 22-year-old enjoyed a sensational first season at Chelsea, scoring 22 goals and making 11 assists in the Premier League to put himself in contention for a place in England’s team for Euro 2024.
‘I want to go to the Euros and be a part of the squad,’ Palmer said. ‘I would not have imagined [being in the running this time last year].
‘You’re sat there with all the other lads and a manager saying, “The aim will be to get to the senior squad”. But you’re looking at the senior squad thinking, “Oh, there are so many players [ahead of me]”.
‘I never doubted my ability, but there were a lot of factors that have contributed to [being in contention for the plane]. So I have surprised myself.’
Palmer could play a big role for England at Euro 2024 (Picture: Getty)
Despite Palmer’s incredible contribution, Chelsea endured a mixed season under ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino, languishing in mid-table for most of the campaign before a late run saw them finish sixth and qualify for Europe.
‘People saying we were not playing for the club,’ Palmer added on the season just gone. ‘Claims that “no one cares” were probably the hardest moments [last season].
‘It’s not nice, but you know yourself if you’re trying or not so we just needed to stick together as we did. The results in the past few games showed we were trying.’
After deciding to replace Pochettino, Chelsea will hope for most consistency under incoming manager Enzo Maresca, who won the Championship with Leicester City last season.
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