Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer “would ideally like to be based closer to the North West” but he’s committed to the Blues in the short term, according to reports.

The Blues have missed Palmer for a large chunk of the season through injury with the England international playing just 13 times in all competitions.

Palmer has, more often than not, made an impact when playing for Chelseathis season with five goals in those fixtures, taking his total contributions to?41 goals and 19 assists in 82 Premier League appearances.

Chelsea got a bargain when they paid Manchester City ￡40m for his services in 2023 but there have been rumours in recent days that he could be considered a move away from Stamford Bridge.

A report on Thursday insisted that Palmer has become ‘unsettled’ at Chelsea and that he’d consider re-joining Man City if Pep Guardiola leaves in the summer.

There have also been rumours that Manchester United, who he supports, could be an optionwith Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly fearing he may hand in a “transfer request”if the Blues don’t qualify for the Champions League.

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Fabrizio Romano revealed last week that nothing will happen with a potential transfer in January with Chelsea seeing Palmer as “crucial” to their plans.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “We had rumours in England about Cole Palmer’s desire to go back to Manchester, maybe to Man Utd, Palmer to leave Chelsea in the summer. In January, nothing is happening. At this stage, Chelsea’s position is very clear.

“They see Palmer as a crucial part of their project. Chelsea don’t want Palmer to leave the club. Today, Liam Rosenior in his press conference said he’s a crucial part of our long-term project. He said, ‘I had several conversations with Cole and he’s very happy here.’

“Chelsea are not on alert for anything at this stage. Obviously, there will be always rumours around Palmer, a fantastic player.

“But as of today, January, nothing is happening and Chelsea are counting on Palmer at this stage.”

Transfer insider?Graeme Bailey told our friends at TEAMtalkthat although Palmer would like to move closer to the North West in the future, he “remains fully committed” to Chelsea.

Bailey explained: “We understand from figures close to the player that while?Palmer?would ideally like to be based closer to the North West in the long term, given that he is a long-time United fan and has?harboured ambitions of playing for them, but he is not pushing to leave Stamford Bridge and remains fully committed to the project under BlueCo.

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“Indeed, those close to the Wythenshawe?born star describe him as ‘settled, valued and focused’ as he continues to shine in blue.

“Inside?Chelsea, the feeling is mutual. The club view Palmer as a core pillar of their rebuild and one of the standout success stories of their recruitment strategy. Senior figures are adamant that he is central to their plans and not a player they would entertain losing lightly.”

After being asked about rumours surrounding Palmer’s future, new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said at a recent press conference:?“I’ve had numerous conversations with Cole and he seems very, very happy to be here. He’s a huge part of our plans in the long term. He’s an outstanding player.

“Every player goes through difficult times in his career because of injury. I don’t think it’s any reflection on his quality.

“My job and the club’s job is to get him in a place where he can consistently perform at the level he wants to.

“There was frustration in the Brentford game, not because he isn’t happy here, just because he was in pain and couldn’t perform to the level he wanted to for the club.

“He’s a great kid and an outstanding player, but we have to make sure we look after him in the right way. That’s why I didn’t involve him in the last game.”