Cole Palmer ‘reaction’ to Chelsea star statement could present Chelsea problem after City defeat
Rio Ferdinand suggested that the way Chelsea handled Raheem Sterling might be problematic and cause unease inside the team.
After Sterling was left off of Chelsea’s squad to face Manchester City, many were perplexed. The player later released a statement explaining his exclusion. Speaking on his podcast, “Rio Ferdinand Presents,” the former Manchester United defender voiced worries about how Sterling’s treatment by the team will affect younger players who look up to him.
During an interview with former Chelsea player Jody Morris and former City defender Joleon Lescott, Ferdinand disclosed that he has heard rumors that Sterling is unaware of his future at Chelsea and that there has been no transparent contact from Chelsea’s upper management. He added that emerging abilities such as Cole Palmer, who just committed his future to Chelsea, might be discontented with how Sterling’s case is being managed amid speculation that the ex-City winger may have to start hunting for a new team.
“From what I’m hearing he’s got no understanding of where his situation lies, he hasn’t had anyone in the hierarchy come to him and say, ‘listen, you’re surplus to requirements, we want to get rid of you’. And what I’m hearing is that the actual last conversation that was had was like everything’s fine,” Ferdinand said.
The 45-year-old has expressed concern that Chelsea’s younger talents, such as Palmer and Reece James, might take Sterling’s situation to heart. Ferdinand also highlighted how Sterling serves as a mentor in the changing room, being affectionately termed ‘uncle Raheem’.
“I see all the young players, especially in that squad, talk about Raheem like ‘uncle Raheem’,” Ferdinand said. “Cole Palmer, the likes of Reece James, it’s ‘uncle Raheem’ and he’s looked after a lot of these boys, given them advice and they come to him.
“So when you kick that guy in the changing room all of them are going to limp at some point, they’re not going to take it well and you create a problem in your own dressing room by not dealing with these things in the right way.”
Further to Ferdinand’s point, former Chelsea coach Morris chimed in, suggesting that parting ways with an experienced player like Sterling could spell turmoil for the team. Particularly in the aftermath of losing another seasoned player, Thiago Silva.
“Chelsea are a very young group and he’s probably one of the most experienced now that they’ve lost Thiago Silva, who else in the game has achieved what Raheem has? You never know what these kinds of things can have on the rest of the group,” Morris said.
The ex-Leeds United ace voiced also concerns over the impact of Todd Boehly’s transfer strategy at Chelsea on the club’s youth prospects, suggesting that the influx of new signings could deter young talents from committing their future to the Blues. He pointed out that this isn’t a new trend, referencing the recent sales of several promising players, which can influence the decisions of parents of potential recruits.
“In fairness to the new owners, this sort of stuff has been going on previously as well, we have been selling our bright talents. You’ve only got to look at Marc Guehi, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Dominic Solanke and it can filter down. When you’re looking to sign a player who’s maybe under 13 or under 14, the parents aren’t silly and you’ll get a lot going ‘hold on a minute’ – you never know what might happen.” he said.
Ferdinand also expressed his belief that Chelsea’s eagerness to sign new players, some of whom he doesn’t consider an improvement over existing squad members, risks damaging the bond between the club and its supporters. He stressed the importance of homegrown talent in maintaining that connection, criticising the “business people” at the helm for overlooking these crucial aspects.
He added: “I don’t see the big enough gap in quality, the home grown players, they’re the ones that connect you to the fans. But the business people at the club aren’t seeing those little details and the nuances.”