- Palmer has been great for Chelsea
- Joined in £42.5m deal from Man City
- Had his doubts before the move
Getty Images Sport'I wasn’t even gonna go' - Cole Palmer admits he had to be 'persuaded' to join Chelsea from Man City

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There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Palmer joined the London club from City in the summer of 2023 and has quickly become a star at Stamford Bridge, scoring 32 goals in 58 appearances in all competitions so far. His Blues form earned him a spot in England's squad at Euro 2024, where he went on to score in the final.
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Palmer's rise to stardom with Chelsea almost didn't happen, though, as he had to be sold on the idea before he was forced to wait for the clubs to hammer out a £42.5 million ($54m) deal. He made 41 senior appearances for City after coming through the club's youth academy, but was never a regular starter under Pep Guardiola, resulting in him chasing first-team football at Chelsea.
WHAT PALMER SAID
"I wasn’t even gonna go [to] Chelsea, I got persuaded," he said to GQ. "I just knew I wasn’t going to play as much as I wanted to. Even when I was going to England [camps] with younger age groups, you had players there who were playing in the league every week. And you’re looking around thinking, I can play in the league. When you’re not playing, it’s annoying."
Guardiola said that Palmer had been pushing for a move, but the attacking midfielder said: "No – do you know what, I just wanted to go on loan."
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?
Palmer was one of eight players who had to pull out of the England squad due to an injury and it is not yet known if he will be fit for Chelsea's clash against Leicester on November 23.
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