Cole Palmer ‘secretly trying to convince’ England teammate to quit his current club and join Chelsea

The England star has been working on a Chelsea target.

Cole Palmer is reportedly trying to convince one of his England teammates to join him at Chelsea this summer.

Palmer didn’t start any matches for England at Euro 2024, but he still played a significant role as Gareth Southgate’s side made it to the final for a second successive time.

The 22-year-old came off the bench in the quarter-final and scored England’s first penalty in the penalty shootout defeat of Switzerland.

Palmer was a late substitute in the semi-final defeat of the Netherlands, but he had time to set up Ollie Watkins’ 91st minute winner with a smart pass.

Paler and Watkins were both introduced in the final against Spain, and this time it was Palmer who produced a superb strike to draw England level.

Despite neither starting a single game, Palmer and Watkins managed to strike up a threatening partnership in England’s attack.

According to Football Insider, that relationship blossomed off the pitch too, with Palmer attempting to persuade the striker to swap current club Aston Villa for Chelsea.

Sources have told Football Insider that Palmer told Watkins that they could work together Chelsea towards the top of the Premier League next season under the management of Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea are in the market for a new striker this summer, and Watkins is said to be on their radar.

The 28-year-old scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season to help Villa qualify for the Champions League, with Palmer one of just three players to score more than him.

Chelsea are reportedly willing to offer Conor Gallagher to Villa to help facilitate a deal, as the midfielder has been on Unai Emery’s wish list for some time.

Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on transfers since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in 2022.

This summer they have already signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Omari Kellyman, Renato Veiga and Marc Guiu.