Chelsea stole the next Kylian Mbappe from Premier League rivals, claims former winger

Former Chelsea star Florent Malouda has lauded Chelsea for stealing Cole Palmer away from Manchester City, claiming the England international reminds him of Kylian Mbappe when he first burst onto the scene.

Palmer has got 21 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season, making him the most effective Under 21 player in Europe’s top five leagues, and has been one of few bright spots for Chelsea in another disappointing season.

Cole Palmer a shining light for Chelsea

The Blues sit ninth in Mauricio Pochettino’s first campaign in charge having finished 12th last season, with Todd Boehly and Clearlake’s running of the club coming under scrutiny after a £1bn spend which has made them significantly worse.

But Palmer has been an undoubted success, and Malouda – who spent six years at Chelsea between 2007 and 2013 – has been blown away by his progress this season, which looks set to earn him a place in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad this summer.

Whether the 21-year-old can be the next Mbappe remains to be seen, but Malouda says Palmer’s impact has been similar to Mbappe’s when he first caught the eye for Monaco.

“Same ability…”

“I think that what Palmer has shown this season is the same ability that Mbappe showed when he first burst onto the scene at Monaco,” Malouda told Gambling Zone. “Cole is a little bit older than Kylian was when he broke through, but in terms of his decision-making, his calmness and his ability, he reminds me of Mbappe. That tells you everything about his potential and how far he could go.

“Chelsea should be planning to build around Palmer for years to come. We haven’t had a player at Chelsea that the team should be built around in a long time. Every week, Palmer is so reliable. You know exactly what he will give you. I think that is the way forward and that Cole Palmer is the future of Chelsea.

“I’m also looking forward to seeing him perform in the national team because you can see he has this confidence in his own ability, he is ambitious, and he has his own style. He is a unique player.”

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