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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 defense.
Gallas questions Palmer hype amid Chelsea struggles
Palmer became the centerpiece of the Chelsea project after arriving from Manchester City, enjoying a superb debut season with 25 goals, which brought him individual recognition in the form of a PFA Young Player of the Year award win 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 team, Gallas suggested that the narrative around the 24-year-old striker had become exaggerated.
Gallas questions Palmer’s status
Despite significant investment in the team, the club struggled to find defensive stability, regularly conceding and failing to establish a reliable backline. Gallas criticized both the team’s offensive and defensive performance, while suggesting that Palmer did not maintain the same impact that sparked the hype of the first season.
“When you look at Chelsea’s defenders, they conceded so many goals. The attackers, they hardly scored any goals,” Gallas said.
Gallas urges Chelsea to replace John Stones
Gallas suggested Chelsea should strengthen their defense by targeting Stones, who is expected to leave City this summer, instead of Marcos Senesi.
“Marcos Senesi is a good defender, he had a good season with Bournemouth and he is 29 years old, which means he has more experience than some current Chelsea defenders,” he added. “But the pressure will be different at 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 of playing for a big club is and knows the feeling of winning trophies. Additionally, Stones will leave Manchester City for free this summer. Chelsea must try to sign him, he would organize the back line.”
Defense matters and appointment of a permanent manager
Although Palmer has been a key attacking player since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s defensive struggles remain a major problem. The club have spent heavily on defenders, but are yet to form a cohesive partnership capable of anchoring their push towards the top four. Several names have been linked to the Blues before the summer transfer window. However, they are also working on appointing a permanent manager following the sacking of Liam Rosenior in April.
FIFA World Cup 2026: how to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34), with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, along with the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
