Chelsea’s Cole Palmer Projected for Versatile Role Under Enzo Maresca
Following a stellar debut season and a Best Player of the Tournament award at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is anticipated to feature prominently in multiple attacking positions under new manager Enzo Maresca. the club World Cup final, held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw Chelsea defeat Paris Saint-Germain.
While Maresca largely utilized Palmer as a central attacking midfielder during his time at Leicester City, the 22-year-old demonstrated significant effectiveness on the right wing last season under Mauricio Pochettino. Palmer scored 25 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea in the 2024-2025 season, including crucial goals from the right flank.
Chelsea’s acquisition of promising young wingers Jamie Gittens from Sunderland for a reported £25 million and Estevao Willian from Palmeiras for approximately £34 million suggests maresca intends to rotate players in the wide positions to manage workload and foster development. Gittens,18,and Willian,17,will require integration time into the premier League. Palmer’s ability to seamlessly transition to an inverted winger role on either side provides Maresca with tactical flexibility. This versatility is particularly valuable given Chelsea’s participation in the Champions League,Premier League,FA cup,and League Cup during the 2025-2026 season.
Palmer’s adaptability allows Maresca to maintain attacking threat even with squad rotation, ensuring Chelsea consistently possesses a dynamic presence in wide areas. His performance in the Club World Cup final, were he scored the winning goal, underscored his importance to the team’s success.
