Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet says Cole Palmer would have a much greater chance of winning the Ballon d’Or if he were playing for the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona.

There have often been questions about an anti-Premier League bias when it comes to the award, and when asked by Goal if Palmer would be better off playing in Spain, Poyet said:

“100 per cent, no doubt. For me, [Jude] Bellingham when I saw him at Dortmund, I liked him a lot. Then his first season at Real Madrid, I love him. Why? Because he was at Real Madrid doing what he was doing, simple. And I thought, maybe he is the Ballon d’Or.”

“It was a big opportunity because he was amazing his first season in Spain – he was tremendous, another dimension, another level, and that helps. Would Lamine Yamal win the Ballon d’Or if he was playing at another team, Liverpool? No chance.”

Would Palmer consider leaving Chelsea?

The 23-year-old has signed a contract that expires in the summer of 2033, and he has never given any indication that he wants to leave the UK.

Palmer previously expressed reservations about leaving his home town of Manchester before making the switch to London so it would be a surprise if he decided to move further afield.

One Premier League player has won the Ballon d’Or in 17 years

When it comes to players based in England winning the prize, only Rodri has been a recipient since Cristiano Ronaldo won it during his time at Manchester United in 2008.

Many feel that Rodri only secured the accolade due to his contributions to Spain winning Euro 2024, rather than anything related to his club form with Manchester City. Poyet’s assessment of bias is probably pretty accurate.

Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here