'It's come from nowhere!' - Liam Rosenior fumes at Cole Palmer transfer links to Man Utd as Chelsea boss claims sale of superstar No.10 is 'unrealistic'

Several reports in the last few weeks have claimed that Palmer isn't totally happy living in London and is even 'homesick' having been born and raised in Manchester. Naturally, United have been tipped as a possible destination in the event he left Chelsea.

Rosenior was asked if he thought Palmer was indeed 'homesick' last week, to which the Blues boss replied: "I've had numerous conversations with Cole and he seems, and is, very, very happy to be here. He is a huge part of our long‑term plans, he's an outstanding player."

Ahead of Chelsea's crunch Champions League tie at Napoli, Rosenior was once more quizzed on Palmer's future. When asked if he had 'assurances' from the board that Palmer wouldn't be sold, Rosenior replied: "There's no reason for assurance. It's so unrealistic. It's come from nowhere. There's nothing in it. There's no reason to have the conversation. That's where I'm at.

"Cole is very happy. I've had numerous conversations with him. Our thoughts are on how we can make this team better, how he can improve and how I can help him. He loves being here and he wants to be a Chelsea player. You can't stop speculation, but some speculation is so far from the truth. There's no point in having a discussion about it.

"It's simple. Cole is an incredible player. I'm not surprised at the timing. A new manager comes in and all of a sudden there are people unsettled. It's not true. Cole's here, he's very happy and I can't wait to see him back on the pitch."

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Amid the flurry of reporting claiming Palmer would be open to joining United, the Daily Telegraph recently claimed that Chelsea view the No.10 as 'untouchable' and they want to keep him for at least the rest of the decade. Palmer is under contract until 2033, by which point he will be 31.

Palmer, who has missed the last two games through injury, has travelled with the Chelsea squad to Naples and is hopeful of being fit for Wednesday's game against Napoli, who are managed by former Blues boss Antonio Conte. Though Chelsea know a victory would guarantee them a top-eight finish and an automatic place in the last 16, their hosts will start the night outside the top 24 and must win to stand a chance of reaching the play-offs.