"He knows he’ll play every week and be the best player" - Paul Scholes claims one Chelsea star needs to be challenged more

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has claimed that Cole Palmer needs competition at Chelsea to get better. He believes that the Englishman has it too easy at the club and knows that he will be in the starting XI every week.

Speaking on The Overlap, Scholes claimed that the Blues do not look like a side that are desperate to win trophies. He believes that the players are becoming too comfortable and added that Palmer needs competition for his place next season. He said (via Metro):

"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 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."

Cole Palmer missed the Blues' game against Arsenal on Sunday, March 16, with an injury as they suffered a 1-0 defeat. He has now pulled out of England's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, where former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel takes charge of the Three Lions for the first time.

Cole Palmer could look to get out of Chelsea, warns Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher has claimed that Cole Palmer could look to leave the Blues if they are not playing to win the UEFA Champions League. He compared the Englishman to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and stated that the two got frustrated at their teammates often.

Carragher said on The Overlap (via Metro):

"I commentated on Brighton versus 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 [Gerrard] 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. 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?"

Steven Gerrard was reportedly close to joining the Blues when Jose Mourinho was in charge in his first stint in west London, but changed his mind at the last moment. Cole Palmer moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023 and has nine years left on his contract.