Cole Palmer has signed a new Chelsea contract on improved terms that will keep him at the club until 2034. The England international, 24, was already under contract until 2033, but the club is rewarding him for his performances as he has become one of their key attacking players.

Palmer is also increasingly seen as a dressing-room leader behind the scenes. The deal leaves him on one of the longest contracts in the Premier League. Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Chelsea team-mates Joao Pedro and Geovany Quenda are also contracted until 2034.

“Chelsea means a lot to me and I think the club is going in the right direction, so I’m delighted to sign and I’m obviously very happy,” said Palmer.

“Speaking to the owners, to the sporting directors and obviously the manager, they gave me a lot of confidence so it was only right to sign.

“Speaking to players as well, everyone has the same ambitions. I feel like we win major trophies here consistently and I want to be a part of that and play a big role in it too.”

Palmer signed his previous contract only two years ago, having joined from Manchester City in 2023 for a fee of £42.5m. The renewal is the latest in a series of extensions at Chelsea designed to reward established and emerging players while maintaining the club’s wage structure. Joao Pedro signed a new contract until 2034 in August, and Pedro Neto agreed a new six-year deal last month.

Strong partnerships on the pitch

Palmer has developed a strong understanding with the Brazil forward Joao Pedro. He has also rekindled his on-pitch partnership with his “best friend in football”, Morgan Rogers, during the early stages of Xabi Alonso’s reign as manager. Palmer was one of the few people privy to Chelsea’s negotiations to sign Rogers from Aston Villa for a club-record £117m fee this summer.

This season, Palmer has scored four goals and provided two assists in seven matches, meaning he has been involved in six goals in that time. It marks a return to form after a niggling groin issue disrupted his last season. He admitted he had played through the problem even though he “probably shouldn’t have done”.

Fitness concerns over the summer

His lack of availability ultimately led to his omission from England’s World Cup squad over the summer, having previously sought specialist advice on whether surgery was required. Palmer has played more minutes than any Chelsea player this season but missed England’s recent international break, prompting Thomas Tuchel to say he “misses too many opportunities”.

Alonso confirmed that Palmer is expected to be available for Saturday’s game against Bournemouth, and insisted that he remains committed to playing for England.

“Absolutely. He’s committed, but he needs to be fully fit to play,” Alonso said.

“And when he’s fully fit, he will enjoy his minutes. We need him in that moment. The club and the national team.

“He trained over the past week and has been feeling better, but we didn’t want to rush him.”

Alonso’s side are currently 10th in the table after five matches, having conceded 12 goals.