We Were Close to Getting Cole Palmer” – How Manchester United Almost Signed the Chelsea Star And Why the Deal Fell Through

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has become one of the Premier League’s brightest talents since joining the club in the summer of 2023. However, things could have taken a very different turn in his career had he signed for Manchester United when he was younger. According to former United academy coach Colin Little, Palmer was extremely close to making the move—but in the end, it never happened.

Palmer grew up as part of Manchester City’s youth system, where he developed his skills and prepared for professional football. Despite his potential, breaking into Pep Guardiola’s first team was challenging due to the high competition at the club. Eventually, Chelsea took the opportunity to sign him for £40 million, a move that has turned out to be a great decision for both the player and the club.

Since joining Chelsea, Palmer has been outstanding, scoring 39 goals and providing 22 assists in 78 appearances. This season, he has already scored 14 goals and created seven more in 28 Premier League games. But before all this success, Palmer nearly ended up wearing the red of Manchester United instead of Chelsea blue.

Colin Little, who worked as a coach in United’s academy, recently revealed that the club was close to signing Palmer when he was just 16 years old. Speaking on The Athletic’s Talk of the Devils podcast, he explained how discussions took place and why Palmer was seriously considering leaving Manchester City at the time.

“I know Cole Palmer’s family quite well, I know his dad and his uncle, and we were close to getting Cole Palmer when he was about 16, believe it or not,” Little said.

At that point, Palmer had reached an age where he could leave City’s academy if he wanted to, and United saw an opportunity to convince him to make the switch.

“He was umming and ahhing, and I knew he was a big United fan. He was at that age where you’re allowed to leave. Man City were also uncertain about what to do with him.”

Despite Palmer’s admiration for Manchester United and the club’s interest in signing him, the move never materialized. The reason? City finally stepped in and made him an offer that convinced him to stay.

“I think City, in the end, made him a good enough offer, but really he was always a United fan, and it was close,” Little explained.

United failed to secure the deal, and City managed to keep Palmer within their ranks. However, the club later struggled to give him enough first-team opportunities, which led to Chelsea swooping in for him years later.

Had Palmer joined United at 16, his career might have turned out completely different. There is no guarantee that he would have developed into the same player he is today. Instead, he stayed at City, worked his way up, and eventually found a new home at Chelsea—where he has flourished.

Now, after missing Chelsea’s recent game against Arsenal and England’s international matches, Palmer has returned to training. This is a huge boost for manager Enzo Maresca as Chelsea prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in a crucial Premier League clash on Thursday night.

While Manchester United came close to signing Cole Palmer as a teenager, they missed out, and Chelsea ultimately benefited from that. As he continues to shine at Stamford Bridge, United fans can only wonder what could have been if things had gone differently.

It’s fascinating how close United was to signing Cole Palmer, especially considering his current impact at Chelsea. Given his strong United fandom, he might have been a key player for them had things turned out differently. But City’s intervention kept him in their system, and ironically, it was Chelsea that benefited in the end.

Palmer’s numbers at Chelsea are exceptional—39 goals and 22 assists in 78 appearances is elite production, especially for a player still developing. It’s the kind of creativity and goal threat United has been lacking in their attack.

Do you think United should have pushed harder for him back then? Or was it just one of those ‘what-if’ moments in football history