Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has questioned the growing hype surrounding Cole Palmer, insisting the England international was elevated too quickly after one strong season at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer emerged as Chelsea’s standout player following his move from Manchester City, scoring 25 goals during a breakthrough 2023/24 campaign that earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
However, Gallas believes expectations around the 24-year-old attacker have become exaggerated amid Chelsea’s continued struggles.
Speaking to BetVictor, the former France international criticised both Chelsea’s defensive problems and lack of attacking consistency while pointing to Palmer’s recent performances.
Gallas said: “When you look at the Chelsea defenders, they’ve let in so many goals.
“The strikers, they’ve barely scored any goals.”
The former Arsenal and Chelsea defender added: “One player, who I don’t want to point out but who hasn’t performed well enough, is Cole Palmer.
“Everyone in England jumped on the hype after one good season, saying he’s the best player in the world, but look at him now.
“He’s now a big name but he’s still so young despite being the Young Player of the Year two years ago.”
Gallas also urged Chelsea to strengthen their defence ahead of next season, recommending Manchester City defender John Stones as a better option than Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi.
He said: “Marcos Senesi is a good defender, he’s had a good season with Bournemouth, and he’s 29 years old, which means he’s had more experience than some of the current Chelsea defenders.
“But the pressure will be different at a big club, and Senesi hasn’t experienced that pressure.”
The former defender added: “John Stones will be a better option for Chelsea, he knows exactly what the pressure is to play for a big club and knows the feeling of winning trophies.
“Also, Stones will be leaving Manchester City for free in the summer.
“Chelsea have to try and sign him, he would organise the back line.”
While Palmer has remained one of Chelsea’s main attacking threats since arriving at Stamford Bridge, the club’s defensive struggles continue to be a major concern.
Despite heavy spending on defenders, Chelsea are yet to establish a reliable partnership capable of leading a serious push for the Premier League top four.
