What Cole Palmer is now thinking about Man United move amid ‘homesick’ claims at Chelsea

Cole Palmer would reportedly be ‘willing to return’ to Manchester and join Manchester United, as per recent reports.That’s according to Sky Sports relaying claims from the Daily Express, which adds the Chelsea talisman is feeling ‘homesick’ in London. Cole Palmer is reportedly willing to join Manchester United as he eyes a return closer to home 😮 pic.twitter.com/oQKiF7twk2 — Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) January 22, 2026Cole Palmer: The state of playPalmer has cut an unsettled figure in recent weeks. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)A Wythenshawe-born, boyhood Red, Palmer spent the entirety of his youth and senior career with Manchester City before departing for Stamford Bridge in 2023 in a £45 million deal – an absolute steal, in hindsight. 🚨 | Sources claim boyhood #mufc fan Cole Palmer does not particularly enjoy life in London and misses his friends from back home in Manchester… [@DanKing_1974] pic.twitter.com/ZnnVrbdY7H — UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) January 21, 2026Palmer then swiftly established himself as one of the best No.10s in world football; in his maiden campaign as a Blue in the Premier League, he returned a remarkable 22 goals and 11 assists in 33 appearances.Across all competitions in the two-and-a-half seasons he’s been at Chelsea, the 23-year-old has notched 48 goals and 29 assists in 110 matches – including two goals and an assist in last summer’s Club World Cup final against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.Why a transfer might be difficult to facilitate for UnitedSelling the coveted attacker to a direct rival like United would be unthinkable for Chelsea. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Alas, it goes without saying that United supporters would jump at the opportunity of adding a player like Palmer to the ranks at Old Trafford, even if he does have a lengthy history representing their cross-city rivals.Unless he pushes for a move himself, a deal could be incredibly hard to come by, and not least because Chelsea will be doing everything to keep hold of him for the foreseeable future.The 12-capped England star is contracted to the London outfit until 2033, and is valued at a whopping £104m by Transfermarkt.Read more: £300k-a-week midfielder ‘interested in joining’ United after rejecting contract offers, INEOS will meet price tag