Reputed pundit Graeme Souness suggested Real Madrid could express interest in signing Chelsea star Cole Palmer. The Liverpool legend claimed the attacker's sensational performances for the Blues could capture the imagination of Los Blancos.
Souness told the Daily Mail:
"I’m sure there are other players Man City could have cashed in on. Chelsea paid £40m for Palmer but if Real Madrid come knocking next summer and he is still at the level he is showing, I would not be surprised if they got an offer of £150m for him.
"He’s a young man, so we’re going early on this call, but if this is Palmer’s level and he can be consistently this good, he’s going to be a top man," he added.
Souness went on to speak about what made Palmer a top-class footballer, adding:
"He has got silky skills, athleticism, and a fabulous football brain. There’s simply nothing to dislike about him. He’s 22. At that age, no one ought to be that good. I like his temperament, too. You can read a lot into a player from their reaction when they score, and Palmer doesn’t go mad when he finds the net."
"He seems to have a really sensible head and he looks to have had a really good football education – which you would expect at the modern Manchester City," he concluded.
Palmer has been Chelsea's talisman since he arrived from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 for a fee of £40 million. He registered 25 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances across competitions last season.
The 22-year-old has been in great form in the 2024-25 campaign too, notching six goals and five assists in nine games across competitions.
Chelsea set to miss two key players for upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool
Chelsea defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana will be unavailable for the side's next Premier League fixture after the international break against Liverpool on October 20. The pair have collected five yellow cards and will face a one-game suspension.
To add further trouble for the Blues, Levi Colwill and Noni Madueke appeared to suffer injuries towards the end of their 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, October 6. Their availability against the Reds remains a doubt but they have time to get fit.
Discipline has been a massive issue for Chelsea over the past two seasons. They broke the record for most yellow cards in a season last time with 105 and have seemed to pick right where they left, collecting 27 in just seven Premier League games this season.