Photo: Werner100359 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has backed Cole Palmer to deliver a standout season, saying the club's fortunes are directly tied to the England international's form. Alonso has been working with Palmer for three weeks, both at Cobham and on the club's pre-season tour of Australia.
"My feeling is that he loves the game and he wants to enjoy it," Alonso said. "Once he enjoys it, he shows it, he transmits it. So the proof is for him to enjoy his game and show his best level. He has shown it and this year I see him with the desire and goal to have a great season."
Alonso identified Palmer as a key on-pitch leader. "His role in the team is that he's going to be a leader on the pitch, and the better Cole we have, the better Chelsea we have. That's for sure," the manager added.
The Spaniard also stressed the importance of pre-season preparation for Palmer specifically. "I think that having a proper pre-season and proper preparation is going to be important for him – and you've seen that he's really focused on that. We are connected; we are getting each other. So far, I like his personality," Alonso said.
Palmer featured in Chelsea's opening pre-season fixture against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday. The squad is currently in Sydney for the first leg of a tour that also includes stops in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Alonso acknowledged his side's attacking depth but was clear that individual freedom must operate within team structure. "I think discipline gives you freedom, and I think that with clear patterns, clear duties, you then have the capacity to have the freedom to show your decision-making, your talent and your quality," he said. "Cole, Joao, Morgan, Jamie, Dastan, all the attacking players, they need to get involved in this mindset – and they are."
Morgan Rogers, signed from Aston Villa ahead of the 2026/27 season, has joined Palmer in the Chelsea attack during the tour. Seventeen-year-old striker Dastan Satpayev is also with the squad in Sydney after FC Kairat granted early permission for the teenager to link up with the group.