Cole Palmer has moved to silence speculation over his future, insisting he intends to remain at Chelsea as the club navigates a difficult season. The playmaker addressed persistent transfer talk and explained his focus remains on recovery and the team’s objectives.

On rumours linking him elsewhere, Palmer said: “Everyone just talks,” Palmer said abut the speculation on his future. “When I see it I just laugh. Obviously Manchester is my home. All my family are there, but I don’t miss it. Maybe I’ll miss it if I don’t go for three months or something. But then when I get home I think there’s nothing there for me anyway.

He was clear about his immediate plans: “I’ve got no plans to move from Chelsea . We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’ve got the FA Cup semifinal and if we finish in a Champions League spot it puts us in a good position to sign players that we need.”

The club’s project has faced scrutiny following the departure of former manager Enzo Maresca and a run of disappointing results. Senior players Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella publicly questioned the project and hinted at potentially leaving the club, with the former receiving a two-game internal suspension for comments alluding to a move to Real Madrid. Chelsea also dropped out of this season’s Champions League after a last-16 elimination by Paris Saint-Germain and currently sit sixth in the Premier League, four points off the Champions League places after one win in their last seven.

Palmer acknowledged the inconsistency: “It has been an inconsistent season for whatever reason,” Palmer declared. “It’s just about, in my opinion, getting the right players in to help us kick on.

He defended the process around the managerial change: “Bringing a manager in mid-season, you have no preseason, hardly have time to train. You’re just focusing on games. But the manager is good and when he has a proper preseason and gets his ideas across properly and the way he wants to play he’s a top coach.

Palmer also laid out the impact of a prolonged groin problem on his form. “I didn’t know how long I was going to be out for,” Palmer revealed. “I went to see a specialist and he said 10 to 12 weeks. Then I was playing when I was injured because I was out for 12 weeks and it was still not better.

“I’ve never been injured like this before. I’m sat there on the side for over three months. I came back in early December, Leeds away. I came on for 30 minutes, and I couldn’t even sprint. But I wanted to play so much. I was trying to play and it was just too strange. I didn’t know how to manage it.

“I’m all right now. It’s just about finding rhythm and performing again. It’s not just going to disappear. I’ve not lost all my ability. I’ve been injured.”

Since joining Chelsea from Man City in the summer of 2023, Palmer has committed long term to the club with a contract running until 2033. He said talks with ownership, and discussions alongside key team-mates such as Reece James, leave him optimistic that targeted summer additions could return Chelsea to serious trophy contention.

“It’s something we’re working on together [with ownership],” Palmer said. “We’re on the same page. We want to win now and I think if we add right in the summer we can compete for serious trophies next season. I don’t think we’re far off.

“If you sign the right players in the right positions and the right characters and profiles, I think we have more than enough quality to compete and be more consistent than we’ve shown over this season.

“We spoke to the owners and they’re sure of the players that are gonna do it. Reece [James] won’t sign a six-year contract if he’s not spoken to the owners and the directors. Me and Reece spoke a lot. About things we need, players we need to sign and how things need to be. He wouldn’t sign a new contract if he didn’t know what was going on.”

Gameweek 33 brings both headaches and opportunities for FPL managers as several teams play twice. The double fixtures make prioritising players from the right squads crucial, with Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds United and Manchester City all on double duty.

Goalkeepers
Karl Darlow (£3.9m) stands out because of his low price and fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) and Bournemouth (A). He has scored 16 points across his last three fixtures and looks nailed on for the remainder of the season. Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.6m) also offers two fixtures, Arsenal (H) and Burnley (A), but his inclusion uses one of three Man City slots managers may prefer to spend on midfield and forward assets. Đorđe Petrović (£4.6m) is a Bournemouth alternative after three clean sheets in his last six outings versus Newcastle United (A) and Leeds (H).

Defenders
Bournemouth defenders Marcos Senesi (£5.2m) and James Hill (£4.2m) present clean sheet potential and solid defensive contribution totals, while Adrien Truffert (£4.7m) provides more attacking upside via assists. Leeds options Pascal Struijk (£4.3m), Jayden Bogle (£4.4m) and Gabriel Gudmundsson (£3.8m) offer differing mixes of defensive reliability and attacking threat. Marc Cucurella (£6.0m) is the main Chelsea defender to consider despite matches with Manchester United (H) and Brighton (A) being tough for clean sheets. Nico O’Reilly (£5.0m) would be an obvious pick after a 14-point weekend and 52 points in six gameweeks, but he is an injury concern; Marc Guéhi (£5.1m) is a viable alternative if O’Reilly is ruled out.

Midfield and attack
Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m) remains an attractive midfield option despite high ownership. Rayan Cherki (£6.3m) offers a differential and Jérémy Doku (£6.4m) provides explosive potential. Cole Palmer (£10.5m) will start both Chelsea games and is on spot kicks. Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier (£5.4m) is notable for set-piece and penalty responsibility versus Rayan (£5.5m) and Alex Scott (£5.0m). Pascal Groß (£5.5m) and Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m) could be short-term Brighton values.

Forwards
Erling Haaland (£14.4m) is the obvious captaincy candidate across two fixtures, with particular promise in the Burnley match. João Pedro (£7.7m) is a reliable pick given Chelsea’s double and his 82 points since Liam Rosenior took charge; he faces little competition for his starting role.

Chelsea have moved quickly to secure another of their core players with a significant new contract for Moises Caicedo, following a recent deal for Reece James. The club acted while there is uncertainty over the future of midfield partner Enzo Fernández, making the decision straightforward from a sporting perspective.

Caicedo, 24, framed the move himself: “I am so happy to have extended my contract at Chelsea ,” Caicedo enthused of his new deal. “I believe in this team, this club and I know we’re going in the right direction. We’ve only just begun together.

“There is still a lot more to achieve, and I’m very hungry to keep improving every day. I want to win more trophies with Chelsea and give everything for this club and for the fans.”

Beyond the headline fee that first landed him at the club, Chelsea’s faith is grounded in availability and output. Durability is vital for a box-to-box midfielder tasked with covering vast areas and recovering possession, and Caicedo’s three seasons in blue show remarkable consistency.

Season totals and squad rankings for minutes are revealing. In 2023–24 he logged 3,899 minutes and finished second in the squad. The 2024–25 campaign produced 4,289 minutes and the same squad ranking. For 2025–26 he had 3,454 minutes and sat third in the squad. *Minutes accurate as of April 17, 2026.

His on-field impact has evolved beyond numbers alone. Weighed down early by a $147 million (£115 million) price tag, he answered critics with defensive authority, including a club first: in October 2024 he became the first Chelsea midfielder in six years to record seven interceptions in a Premier League game against Newcastle United. By November he was the first midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues to exceed 20 interceptions, 30 successful tackles and 50 duels won, and at the time of the contract announcement he led the Premier League for interceptions and ranked sixth across Europe’s top divisions.

Caicedo also contributes to possession: he is one of just three Premier League midfielders this season with over 90 percent pass accuracy. His influence was recognised in 2024–25 when he won both the club’s Player of the Season award and the Players’ Player of the Season prize.

Current manager Liam Rosenior underlined the case: “For me, Moisés is one of the best defensive midfield players, if not the best defensive midfield player, in world football,” he proclaimed. “That’s because of his intelligence, his physicality, his technical quality, and how he understands the game.”