Chelsea have announced that star player Cole Palmer is set to have a new shirt number for his third season in West London.
The official club website stated that he would now be the club’s number 10, after two seasons with the number 20 on his back.
Palmer will be excited about linking up with Liam Delap at Stamford Bridge again, with them enjoying a very positive record together.
Delap has been named the new number nine at the club, and he will be hoping for plenty of service from the club’s new number 10 when they take to the pitch together.
Why Cole Palmer has become the new Chelsea number 10
The shirt was previously worn by Mykhailo Mudryk, a player who is yet to feature in 2025 due to a provisional suspension.
Mudryk was eligible for a Conference League medal, however there is still no update as to whether he will be featuring again in a Chelsea shirt anytime soon.
Palmer’s switch to the shirt number could be the biggest sign yet that Chelsea are not expecting a return for the Ukraine international in the immediate future.
Given how crucial the England international has proven to be for the Blues, it was only a matter of time before he was handed a more iconic number to represent that.
The number 10 has previously been worn by Chelsea legend Eden Hazard, who took the shirt after two seasons at the club following Juan Mata’s departure.
Cole Palmer takes shirt number of one of his idols
The current star is a big fan of one of his predecessors. Palmer recently named Hazard on his Mount Rushmore of Premier League players.
Palmer also said he would love to have played with Hazard, and fans would no doubt have loved to see the duo linking up at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian becoming the new number 10 put an end to speculation that he could be leaving the club, and set him up for many successful years in West London.
Chelsea will be hoping the same is in store for Palmer, and his long-term contract and recent salary improvement suggests he could be in for a similarly bright future.
