'Too good for the club' - Cole Palmer urged to leave Chelsea as Jamie Carragher compares 'frustrated' forward to Steven Gerrard

The young forward has been instrumental in the Blues' attack, delivering an impressive 39 goals and 21 assists in 78 appearances. Palmer’s impact was further highlighted in the 2024 European Championship final, where he came off the bench to score a remarkable equaliser in England's eventual 2-1 loss to Spain. However, his meteoric rise has sparked debate among football experts, with some suggesting that Palmer may have already outgrown Chelsea and should consider a move to a more ambitious club.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate brought to you by Sky Bet, Carragher drew parallels between Palmer’s situation at Chelsea and Gerrard's early years at Liverpool and said: "I commentated on Brighton vs Chelsea in the league a month ago. I’m a big fan of Cole Palmer, and he played two passes early on, but the longer the game went on, you could see the frustration with his teammates. It reminded me of Stevie at Liverpool at times, because he was so much better than everyone else and he got frustrated. Stevie was a local player, but he was never going to leave, whereas Cole Palmer isn’t."

Palmer is tied down to Chelsea until 2033, which led Carragher to question Chelsea's long-term contract strategy as it could potentially limit his options.

"This is when I go back to those eight-year contracts, and whether they are good for the club and players. If you’re Cole Palmer, who’s got six or seven years left on his deal, and he should be playing for a team looking to win the Champions League, how does he get out?" Carragher continued.

Despite Chelsea’s status as one of the most decorated clubs in English football over the past two decades, they have struggled to regain their dominance under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The club is currently battling for a Champions League qualification spot, and their inconsistency has raised concerns about their ability to compete at the highest level.

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes echoed Carragher’s sentiments, arguing that Palmer is mostly the "best player on the pitch" and needs a fresh challenge elsewhere.

"I’ve felt for a while that for Cole Palmer, it’s almost been too easy for him to play in that Chelsea team," he said. "He knows he’ll play every week and be the best player. I think he needs challenging more, and I don’t get the impression that they [Chelsea] are desperate to win anything."

Palmer was notably absent from Chelsea’s recent defeat to Arsenal, with concerns over his fitness keeping him out of the team. The injury also forced him to withdraw from the England squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White being called up as his replacement.