Danny Murphy has tipped Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer to succeed Bruno Fernandes at Man Utd when the Portugal international leaves Old Trafford.

Chelseahave been without Palmer for half their matches this season due to injury with the England international scoring five goals in his 14 appearances this season.

Palmer has been in incredible form since his bargain ￡40m move from Man City in 2023 with the 23-year-old contributing?41 goals and 19 assists in 82 Premier League appearances.

That has seen the Man City academy graduate linked with top clubs around Europe and over the last week there has been speculationthat he could move to Man Utd.

Reports have claimed that he is ‘unsettled’ at Stamford Bridge and would like to move back to the North West, although a move back to Man City has been ruled out unless Pep Guardiola leaves.

It was claimed that Palmer ‘would be open to a sensational transfer’ to Man Utd, who he supported as a boy as he ‘misses his hometown of Wythenshawe’.

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And former Liverpool midfielder Murphy could see Palmer moving to Man Utd, especially as Fernandes’ successor with the Red Devils captain linked with a move to Saudi Arabia ahead of the summer.

When asked if Chelsea would need to qualify for the Champions League to keep Palmer, Murphy told BestBettingSites: “No, because they’ve got him under a long-term contract, so they can keep him either way.

“But qualifying for the Champions League would make it much easier to quieten the noise around other clubs trying to get him.

“It would definitely help. This season hasn’t been as fruitful as he’d like because of injuries and getting back to form. He’s had this nagging thigh or groin problem, whatever it is.

“But he will get through the groin problem and be fine because he’s a special player.

“The way football works, if you’re a player of that quality and you’ve always had a love for a particular club, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine things lining up.

“Especially if United were to go on a run. A lot of Chelsea fans think the club is more of a business than a football project, so could I see Cole Palmer leaving for Manchester United? Yes, I could.

“I wouldn’t want it to happen, but I could see it. Bruno Fernandes needs a successor.”

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But Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior completely dismissed any rumours Palmer could leave Chelsea and claimed a move to Man Utd is “so unrealistic”.

Rosenior said in a press conference: “There’s no reason for assurance. It’s so unrealistic. It’s come from nowhere. There’s nothing in it. There’s no reason to have the conversation. That’s where I’m at.

“Cole is very happy. I’ve had numerous conversations with him. Our thoughts are on how we can make this team better, how he can improve and how I can help him.

“He loves being here and he wants to be a Chelsea player. You can’t stop speculation, but some speculation is so far from the truth. There’s no point in having a discussion about it.”

Rosenior added: “I’m not surprised at the timing. A new manager comes in and all of a sudden there’s people unsettled. It’s not true. Cole’s here, he’s very happy and I can’t wait to see him back on the pitch.”

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