Paul Scholes unhappy with Man Utd for letting transfer slip through his fingers (Image: Getty)
Paul Scholes questioned Manchester United and Erik ten Hag for missing out on Cole Palmer at Chelsea. The England striker, a childhood United fan, left Manchester City for Chelsea in 2023.
Palmer has been outstanding since joining the Blues in a now bargain £40 million move. But United would have been well aware of his talent from a young age, having seen him play for neighbors City.
Scholes questions how United managed to miss out on such talent and claims Palmer could have lifted them to the Premier League – which could have saved Ten Hag's job. The Dutchman was sacked on Monday with his side sitting 14th after four defeats in the top flight in nine matches.
“He was brilliant. I think he's brilliant. He's also a big United fan. How did he miss him? We wouldn’t be 14th in the league if he came,” Scholes told The Overlap.
“Brilliant player, talent. Goals, assists, he has it all.
Palmer has excelled at Stamford Bridge since being freed from his struggle to break into the City team as a youth player. The 22-year-old scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists in his debut campaign and has remarkably seemed to take it to another level this season.
Playing more centrally under Enzo Maresca, Palmer has already scored seven goals this season. The Italian's appointment this summer has largely been a success so far, with several players benefiting from his tactical tweaks.
Palmer told the Telegraph earlier this month: “Playing centrally has given me more opportunities to influence the game. I like being involved in the build-up and making key passes as well as scoring. It suits my style and I think I can be there, it's even more effective.”
Cole Palmer has excelled since joining Chelsea from Man City (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, United's signings under Ten Hag have struggled to make an impact. Antony, the closest player to Palmer at Old Trafford in style, was an £86m arrival from Ajax and has already found himself at the bottom of the pecking order for wide positions.
The Brazilian cost more than double the fee Chelsea paid for Palmer and failed to match his rival's output. Other additions since Ten Hag's 2022 appointment, such as Mason Mount and Casemiro, have not lived up to expectations.
United can be forgiven for not signing Palmer just over 12 months ago. At City he had struggled to break into Pep Guardiola's team and was linked with moves to teams lower in the Premier League when Chelsea agreed a £40 million deal.
At the time, these fees came under scrutiny and were deemed too high. Just over a year later, Palmer could help the Blues finish ahead of United for the second season in a row.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1969342/paul-scholes-chelsea-transfer-man-utd-erik-ten-hag