'He's a machine!' - Cole Palmer reveals pick for Chelsea's player of the year as Blues' cold talisman loses out to club-record signing

Palmer was beaten to the award by Moises Caicedo, who became the club's record signing in 2023 and has been a key performer this season. The England international declared Caicedo "a machine" when endorsing the pick.

In a video released on Chelsea's social media channels showing players revealing their pick, Palmer said: "I'm voting for this player because he's a machine," before revealing a card with "Moi" written on it to denote Caicedo. Several other stars including Reece James and Noni Madueke also voted for Caicedo, though Spanish-speaking duo Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella voted for each other instead.

Caicedo has made 41 appearances for Chelsea so far this season, starring in their efforts to finish inside the Premier League's top five and win the Conference League. Palmer made a fast start to the season but had gone 18 matches without a goal before breaking his duck against Liverpool on Sunday.

Chelsea will aim to finish the job in the Conference League semi-final against Djurgardens on Thursday, a tie they lead 4-1 after the first leg, before they head to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.