"He's got a bit of maverick personality" – Chelsea sporting director Paul Winstanley backs Blues star to win Ballon d'Or in future
Chelsea sporting director Paul Winstanley has suggested that Cole Palmer has the ability and personality to win the Ballon d'Or honor, presented by French magazine France Football, in the future.
Palmer, 22, is widely deemed as one of the Premier League's top players now. The left-footed attacking midfielder helped the Blues finish sixth in the league table past season, producing 25 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances across competitions in the process.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or award nominee has opened the ongoing 2024-25 season on an excellent note as well. He has found the back of the net six times and recorded five assists in nine overall matches so far.
During a recent interview with The Telegraph, Winstanley was asked if Palmer can one day win the Ballon d'Or. He replied (h/t The Standard):
"No doubt he can, no doubt. He's got a bit of maverick personality on the pitch, you can see that. You can see it in training, you can see it in the games. He's got that ability."
Opening up on luring Palmer from Manchester City in a potential £42.5 million deal in the summer of 2023, the Chelsea sporting director added:
"We've all been aware of Cole since he was very young. He'd consistently flagged up on the profile of player that we were looking for in that position, but as we headed through the window, when you check in and you get told, 'No, not for sale, not for sale'. We weren't going to get him on loan and that wouldn't have suited us either."
Sharing further thoughts on the transfer, Winstanley concluded:
"Then you enter a period when all of a sudden there's a sense this might have some legs, 'Let's push, let's go'. And then once you set off on that journey, you've got to try to see it through. To be fair to Cole, he showed great desire to come here and that's the sort of player we want, the personality and the desire to come here."
Chelsea star draws interest from Napoli
According to The Sun, Napoli are keeping close tabs on Ben Chilwell's situation at Chelsea now. They are likely to face competition from Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Ipswich Town in the race to sign the left-back.
Chilwell, who left Leicester City to join Chelsea for £50 million in 2020, could leave his club on loan next January. He could join Napoli on a short-term loan and sign a long-term deal at the Serie A club next summer.
So far this season, Chilwell has featured in one game for Chelsea.
