Xabi Alonso: Chelsea never considered Cole Palmer moving to Man Utd

Speaking to reporters on Friday, ahead of the Blues' clash with United on Saturday afternoon, Alonso revealed that Palmer's potential departure was never raised during discussions between Chelsea and United, which centred on a possible deal for Andrey Santos.

Speculation surrounding the attacker gathered momentum after a difficult season, with his Manchester roots and childhood support for United adding fuel to the rumours.

However, a persistent groin injury restricted Palmer to just 34 appearances across all competitions, compared to 52 the previous campaign.

His reduced playing time and dip in form prompted questions about his happiness in west London, but Alonso has made it clear that the 24-year-old remains a key component of Chelsea's long-term plans.

The club also strengthened that commitment by securing his services with a new contract earlier this month.

"There were no talks about [him leaving] and he was always part of the plans," Alonso said. "There were no discussions about him not being here."

Turning his attention to Chelsea's attacking play in general, he added: "Everyone needs to show the best level in all the games, but in the big ones sometimes it's harder because of the opponent's quality, the quality of the game.

“We need to support the attackers to get the ball in the right place, that they are involved, that they are connected to the game.”