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Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has questioned the hype surrounding Cole Palmer after his breakthrough season at Stamford Bridge in 2023-24. The Frenchman believes expectations have risen too quickly and insists the Blues still have major issues, especially in defence.
Gallas questions Palmer’s hype amid Chelsea struggles
Palmer became the centerpiece of Chelsea’s project after joining from Manchester City, enjoying an excellent debut season with 25 goals, which earned him individual recognition in the form of a PFA Young Player of the Year award and high expectations. However, former Blues defender Gallas believes the reaction to Palmer’s promotion has gone too far. Speaking about the current state of the team, Gallas suggested that the narrative around the 24-year-old attacker has become exaggerated.
Gallas questions Palmer’s status
Despite significant investment in the team, the club has struggled to find defensive stability, conceding goals regularly and failing to establish a reliable defensive line. Gallas criticized both the team’s offensive and defensive performances and suggested that Palmer has not maintained the same impact that sparked the hype of the first season.
“When you look at Chelsea’s defenders, they have conceded a lot of goals. The forwards have barely scored any goals,” Gallas said.
Gallas urges Chelsea to sign John Stones
Gallas has suggested that Chelsea should strengthen their defense by targeting Stones, who will leave City this summer, instead of Marcos Senesi.
“Marcos Senesi is a good defender, he has had a good season with Bournemouth and he is 29 years old, which means he has more experience than some of the current Chelsea defenders,” he added. “But the pressure will be different in a big club and Senesi hasn’t experienced that pressure.”
“John Stones will be a better option for Chelsea, he knows exactly what the pressure is of playing for a big club and he knows the feeling of winning trophies. In addition, Stones will leave Manchester City for free in the summer. Chelsea have to try to sign him, he would organize the defensive line.”
Defense issues and appointment of a permanent person in charge.
While Palmer has been a key attacking outlet since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s defensive woes remain a major issue. The club has spent heavily on defenders but has yet to form a consistent partnership capable of anchoring a move towards the top four. A number of names have been linked with the Blues ahead of the summer transfer window. However, they are also working to appoint a permanent manager following the sacking of Liam Rosenior in April.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
