Chelsea face old rivals Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
The Blues are currently without a permanent manager and will have Calum MacFarlane in the dugout at Wembley, following the sacking of Liam Rosenior on Wednesday.
The west London outfit would expect to be strong favourites for their tie against the Whites, but their run of five Premier League losses without scoring a single goal could suggest otherwise.
Ahead of that match, it has emerged that one of Chelsea’s fiercest rivals have a genuine interest in one of their most important players.
According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United have a ‘concrete’ interest in signing Cole Palmer this summer.
Palmer, 23, joined Chelsea from Manchester City back in 2023, having struggled to establish himself as a regular in the first team at The Etihad.
Palmer is a target for Manchester United (Photo: SPP Sport Press Photo/Alamy)
Across his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge, the midfielder scored 43 goals and provided 29 assists in 97 matches across all competitions, establishing a reputation as one of the best players in Europe.
This season he has struggled, though, scoring just four non-penalty goals in the Premier League.
It is claimed that Palmer could be open to the idea of a move to Manchester United, having supported the Red Devils as a youngster.
While several Chelsea players are said to be disillusioned with the club’s current project, it isn’t clear whether or not Palmer is one of those.
The England international is contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2033, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will remain in west London beyond the start of next term.
Chelsea, however, remain adamant that the Englishman is not for sale and will stay put at Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable future.