Man Utd rule out summer move for Cole Palmer

Manchester United have ruled out pursuing a summer transfer for Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, despite reports of the England international's private openness to a move to Old Trafford.

The 24-year-old, who turned Manchester-born and a boyhood United supporter, has faced a sharp decline in form during Chelsea's challenging 2025-26 Premier League campaign. After recording 33 goal involvements in the 2023-24 season and 23 the following year, Palmer has managed just 10 this term with three matches remaining, including one goal and no assists in his last eight top-flight appearances. Chelsea sit ninth in the table, two points behind seventh-placed Brentford, but were eliminated from top-five contention after a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Monday, where Palmer missed a penalty.

United officials view Palmer as an expensive luxury they cannot justify, given his current 150,000-pound-a-week contract until 2033 and a potential 90 million-pound transfer fee. The club spent nearly 210 million pounds last summer on attacking reinforcements including Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Priorities this window center on signing two central midfielders and two defenders, with...