Buttering him up?! Cole Palmer gets special message from Bruno Fernandes amid Man Utd transfer links after hat-trick heroics at Wolves

Wythenshawe native Palmer grew up as a United supporter and opened his professional career in Manchester with City. A £40 million ($54m) move took him to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023.

His 25-goal debut campaign in west London delivered PFA Young Player of the Year recognition, while Palmer’s second season with Chelsea saw him savour Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs.

He is tied to a long-term contract through to 2033, but has seen a return to his roots in the North West speculated on. Fernandes appears to have noted those rumours, while generating plenty himself.

The Portugal international is, amid talk of interest being shown from the Saudi Pro League, club captain at Old Trafford. He was impressed by Palmer’s performance against Wolves - which saw the 23-year-old land himself another match ball.

Fernandes replied to a social media post by saying: “What a player”. United are expected to be busy in the summer transfer market, with midfield reinforcements on their radar. Any raid on a Premier League rival for Palmer would, however, appear to be a tad ambitious for now.

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Palmer has sought to distance himself from gossip regarding his future, with there no substance to the speculation at present. He has said when addressing the shock rumours: “Everyone loves to chat rubbish, don't they? I don't pay too much attention to it. You see things. But I feel like I've come from a strong place anyway so I don't pay attention to it.”

Chelsea have no intention of sanctioning a sale when it comes to Palmer, with a long-term deal put in place as they seek to ensure that they are the ones to benefit from the unlocking of further potential.

Current Blues boss Liam Rosenior is another to have rubbished the transfer rumours, with the 41-year-old seeing nothing at the start of his reign to suggest that a key part of his plans is feeling “homesick”.

Rosenior has said of Palmer: “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.

“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.”

It has been claimed that Manchester United could have as much as £200m ($272m) to spend in the summer window. If interim boss Michael Carrick can deliver Champions League qualification, then a huge transfer kitty will be made available for squad reinforcement.

Those funds could bring Palmer within reach. Chelsea may have no plans to enter into sale talks, but their resolve would be tested if a big-money offer were to be tabled.

For now, United are competing with Chelsea for a top-four finish in 2025-26. The Red Devils sit fourth in the table at present, but are only one point clear of the Blues heading into a midweek round of fixtures that will see Carrick’s side head to West Ham on Tuesday while Rosenior’s men play host to Leeds.