Man Utd face Palmer question as Ferguson's right-hand man has his say

Rene Meulensteen is confused over Manchester United’s failure to sign a fan of the club in Cole Palmer.

Palmer rose through the Manchester City ranks as a youngster, being given scarce chances under Pep Guardiola, and just when it looked as though a more regular first-team berth was arising, the Englishman jumped ship to Stamford Bridge for £42.5million in 2023.

Now, the dynamic 22-year-old playmaker is one of the Premier League’s brightest sparks, helping take his Chelsea side move back up the table and rubbing salt into Pep Guardiola’s wounds.

Meulensteen, who spent 12 years and two spells working under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, has slammed his former employers for not pulling the trigger and signing Palmer – a childhood Red Devils fan – for themselves.

Comparing both United and their rivals City’s squads and recruitment successes to OLBG, Meulensteen began: "It’s hypothetical, but can you imagine Manchester United could grab Erling Haaland, he’d add 25 or 30 goals straight away. Then you look at Rodri, he’d bring so much stability to the midfield, then Phil Foden, look at how incredible he was last season.

"When it comes to missing out on players, look at Cole Palmer. Why did he end up at Chelsea when he is a Manchester United fan? Why did United not pick him up."

During the 2023 summer transfer window, United did flaunt their wallets, though the £60m spent on Chelsea star Mason Mount – the player that Palmer essentially replaced in west London – hasn’t paid any dividends so far.

As Meulensteen suggests, recruiting Wythenshawe-born Palmer - potentially to their academy as a youngster - would likely have turned around United’s fortunes, especially considering the Englishman’s affinity for the Red Devils.

“Yeah, when I was growing up I was a United fan,” Palmer told TNT Sports after scoring a hat-trick against Erik ten Hag’s side in April last year. I just think to try and do the same thing to each time.

"But I’ve scored away [at Old Trafford] and a few here [at Stamford Bridge] today, so I’m buzzing. I just try to take each game as it comes and show the Chelsea fans and everyone what I came here to do, and that is just to play football.”

Palmer’s 13 league goals so far this Premier League season see his side sitting in fourth, with a solid chance of Champions League football and even an unlikely title tilt. United, on the other hand, sit in 14th, a world away from the heights that are expected of them.