Gary Neville explains why Cole Palmer would thrive at Man United | OneFootball

Gary Neville claims Cole Palmer would be “gold” for Manchester United were the Chelsea wizard to arrive at Old Trafford this summer.

“That could be gold…”

Palmer has emerged as one of the best attackers in the Premier League since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2023. Signed from Manchester City for £40 million, the 24-year-old is the centrepiece of the Blues’ side, who have just come under the watch of Spanish tactician Xabi Alonso after finishing 10th under both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.

Chelsea are understood to consider Palmer “untouchable”, with confidence he is happy in west London, despite a difficult campaign marred by injury. A contract with seven years remaining strengthens this stance.

Cole Palmer Stats: 2025/26 Season

However, there continue to be rumblings the Wythenshawe native is secretly open to a return to Manchester, though only to the red half of the city.

United are understood to be admirers of the England international, but the presence of talismanic captain Bruno Fernandes and last summer’s £71m signing, Bryan Mbeumo, means Michael Carrick has two big-name players in his best positions.

Still, Neville is convinced Palmer would be a success at the Theatre of Dreams, because he is Premier League proven – the same attribute INEOS targeted Mbeumo for – and capable of being the main man at a top club.

“I do like the signings of [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo last summer because they’ve had that grounding in the Premier League. They weren’t “gold” but there was a removal of risk because they’d played in the Premier League and they were stepping up a level and they were young and hungry,” the 51-year-old tells Rio Ferdinand.

“‘Those type of signings are good. There’s talk of Cole Palmer and that looks like a signing that could be gold for Manchester United if he came to Old Trafford.”

But Neville does not consider it a likely prospect: “I don’t think it would happen though, I think Chelsea will hang onto him. But there’s very few signings like that available, it’s only every few years that these type of players become available.”

Buying Local

The United legend is adamant targeting Palmer would be right in line with Sir Alex Ferguson’s approach of hoovering up the best talent in the Premier League, however.

Neville offers the example of Harry Kane and Declan Rice, England’s captain and vice-captain for this summer’s World Cup and two of the best players in Europe, as signings Ferguson would have refused to let land anywhere other than M16 – as he did with Ferdinand himself.

“I think Harry Kane would have been that for United, that would have been gold. You [Ferdinand] joining from Leeds, Wazza [Rooney] joining from Everton, Roy Keane from Nottingham Forest – those are all gold.

“Declan Rice was the same before he joined Arsenal. They’re absolute guarantees, they’re certainties and in the end they will look cheap. If Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge of Man United he would never have allowed Harry Kane to be anywhere else, he would have made sure he came to Old Trafford. Declan Rice would have been the same. Sir Alex would have been all over those two.”

Final Thoughts

With INEOS’s focus revolving around a major revamp in midfield this summer, a blockbuster raid for Palmer does not appear high on the agenda. But a new left-winger and a No.9 are both being targeted to bolster the frontline, suggesting an elite attacker is never a target which can be ruled out, particularly as Mbeumo has shown the ability to play on the opposite flank and through the middle before.

If Palmer, a boyhood United fan, were to swap west London for a return to the north west, it would send shockwaves across England, and make a certain Scotsman nod his head with approval.

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