And yet, his prowess in front of goal hasn’t earned him any extra money. Palmer turned heads when he signed a seven-year deal with the Blues in the summer after falling out with City boss Pep Guardiola, with his new contract reportedly worth £80,000-a-week.
But unlike the majority of top strikers, The Sun claim he did not insist on a clause being inserted which rewarded him financially for every goal. The England international is likely to be ruing that decision, given it has seemingly cost him a sizeable windfall.
Palmer’s feat at Stamford Bridge on Monday signified the first time a player had scored four times in the same Premier League game since Kevin de Bruyne did the same against Wolves in May 2022. And to compound matters, the forward’s first half hat-trick was a ‘perfect’ one, opening the scoring with his left foot before heading home for his second, and adding a third from long-range with his right.
His play has led to him being compared to his ex team-mate, with former Chelsea man Pat Nevin telling Grosvenor Casinos: “You have a look back at the likes of Kevin De Bruyne when he was at Cole Palmer’s age, was he as good?
“Was he at the top level in the Premier League scoring 20 goals? I’m not saying he’s going to be a better player than Kevin De Bruyne, but he’s got what it takes. He’s absolutely got what it takes to be one of the very best in the business.”
His Premier League tally for 2023/24 is now on 20, placing him firmly in the running for the Golden Boot. He’s now level at the top of the charts with another former team-mate Erling Haaland, but has the advantage of Chelsea still having a game in hand over the league leaders.
Palmer will have the opportunity to further prove his point to Man City this Saturday when they face the Blues in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. He was an unused substitute in the final last season, as Guardiola’s side beat Manchester United 2-1.
Back in November, Palmer converted a 95th-minute penalty in a dramatic 4-4 draw against the same side. He’s proceeded to score all nine of his top-flight spot kicks this season, with only Yaya Toure boasting a better 100 per cent record in Premier League history having struck 11 from 11.
