Cole Palmer has been told he can win the Ballon d’Or if he is part of a successful Chelsea or England team. The forward has enjoyed an exceptional year at Stamford Bridge since joining from Manchester City for around £40million.
Palmer has emerged as one of the Premier League’s best players over the last 12 months. The 22-year-old struck 27 goals in his first campaign and his performances have gone up another level under Enzo Maresca.
Premier League icon Alan Shearer believes Palmer has all the makings of a future Ballon d’Or winner. However, the former striker points out that past winners - including the recently triumphant Rodri - have been members of trophy-winning teams.
Asked if Palmer can be a future contender for the coveted prize, Shearer told Betfair: “Without doubt in the future. How soon I don't know but there's definitely enough talent in there. He makes everything look ridiculously easy, as if he's playing at the park with his pals.
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“He's a super talent and he's only going to get better so there's definitely potential for Palmer to win the Ballon d'Or. Absolutely.
“The people who usually win the Ballon d'Or tend to win trophies with their club and country so I guess in order for Palmer to win it, Chelsea and England will have to be successful.
“There's no doubt Palmer has the talent but either England or Chelsea will have to win something. Those are the questions that need to be answered.”
Palmer finished 25th in the voting for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. He finished behind international colleagues Phil Foden, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The former Manchester City star was the only Chelsea player nominated.
However, the laid-back Palmer insists he places no pressure on himself. It is the key to his consistent excellent in the Premier League. "I always try to enjoy my football game by game," he told the BBC last week. "I try not to put pressure on myself.
"Many people on the outside try to put pressure on me to replicate what I did last season in terms of numbers. It is my second season playing football and I am still very, very young."
If Palmer is to win the Ballon d’Or, Chelsea will need to start winning trophies again. The Blues are out of the Carabao Cup after losing 2-0 against Newcastle in midweek. While they seem set to compete for a place in the Premier League’s top four, they remain some way off the quality of Manchester City and Arsenal.
