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Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has questioned the hype surrounding Cole Palmer following his breakthrough season at Stamford Bridge in 2023-24. The Frenchman believes expectations have risen too quickly and insists the Blues still have major problems, particularly in defence.
Gallas questions Palmer hype amid Chelsea games
Palmer became the centerpiece of Chelsea’s project after arriving from Manchester City and is enjoying a superb 25-goal debut season which brought individual recognition in the form of a PFA Young Player of the Year award and high expectations. However, former Blues defender Gallas believes the reaction to Palmer’s rise has gone too far. Speaking about the current state of the squad, Gallas suggested that the narrative surrounding the 24-year-old striker has been exaggerated.
Gallas questions Palmer’s status
Despite significant investment in the squad, the club have struggled to find defensive stability, conceding regularly and failing to establish a reliable back line. Gallas criticized both the team’s offensive and defensive output, while suggesting that Palmer has not maintained the same impact that sparked the first season’s hype.
“When you look at Chelsea’s defenders, they’ve conceded so many goals. The strikers, they’ve hardly scored any goals,” Gallas told
Gallas urges Chelsea to move for John Stones
Gallas has suggested that Chelsea should strengthen their defense by targeting Stones, who is set to leave City this summer, instead of Marcos Senesi.
“Marcos Senesi is a good defender, he’s had a good season with Bournemouth and he’s 29 years old, which means he’s had more experience than some of the current Chelsea defenders,” he added. “But the pressure will be different in a big club and Senesi has not experienced that pressure.”
“John Stones will be a better option for Chelsea, he knows exactly what the pressure is to play for a big club and knows the feeling of winning trophies. Also, Stones will leave Manchester City for free this summer. Chelsea must try to sign him, he would organize the back line.”
Defense issues and the appointment of a permanent manager
While Palmer has been a key attacking fixture since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s defensive struggles remain a major problem. The club have spent heavily on defenders but have yet to form a consistent partnership capable of anchoring a push for the top four. Several names have been linked with the Blues ahead of the summer transfer window. However, they are also working to appoint a permanent manager following the sacking of Liam Rosenior in April.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread over three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every game streaming live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, are televised in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opener between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as will the USA’s June 12 opener against Paraguay (9 p.m. ET).
