In a hypothetical Premier League draft, Burnley selected 23-year-old English attacking midfielder Cole Palmer from Chelsea with the second pick. Although Burnley's main problem was defense, as they had conceded 67 goals, the most in the league, they decided to address that need in a later round. With their pick, Burnley chose Palmer over other available players like Rayan Cherki and Florian Wirtz, based on the belief that manager Scott Parker would likely most enjoy working with him.
Palmer has 14 caps and 2 goals for England. He is under contract with Chelsea until 2033 and has a current market value of €110.00m according to Transfermarkt. He has been linked with clubs such as Manchester United, FC Bayern München, and Real Madrid. Reports from March 2026 suggested Chelsea would require a fee significantly higher than £100 million. In January 2026, a bid of €120M from Manchester United was reported. Palmer's last completed transfer was from Manchester City to Chelsea in September 2023 for a fee reported to be €47M.
