Kasey Palmer using loan at Huddersfield as stepping stone to Chelsea’s first team
By George Perry
Kasey Palmer is on the short-list of loan army players who will likely feature for Chelsea’s first team in the near future. His season at Huddersfield has him ready for a Premier League debut.
Kasey Palmer is on the verge of playing top division football. The main question is which club (and which league) he will play at when it happens.
After 95 appearances for Chelsea’s youth teams, Huddersfield is Palmer’s first taste of senior football. Huddersfield are currently in fifth place in the Championship, nine points behind Newcastle for the second automatic promotion slot.
Palmer is the Terriers‘ second-highest goal-scorer (four), second-highest in assists (three) and third-highest for total offense. Like most players, he is learning the physicality of the game as well as more advanced tactics. This latter aspect may prove to be the most beneficial part of his loan spell.
"The manager is keen on the high press, so as soon as we lose the ball we react and try to win the ball back as soon as possible. For him it’s more important what I do off the ball than what I do on the ball. – Chelsea FC"
Palmer’s description of Huddersfield manager David Wagner sounds like perfect preparation for playing under Antonio Conte. Palmer proved in the youth ranks that he has solid offensive instincts, and has continued these at Huddersfield. By improving on his positional and off-ball play, he can complete his game and earn a spot at Chelsea.
Wagner’s enthusiasm and emphasis on fitness also mirror Conte’s.
"He is like a 12th player on the pitch because of his passion. If you score a last-minute goal he is the first to celebrate, I remember that from my debut! He loves it. The work ethic he demands off the team is why we are doing so well this season. There are not many teams fitter than us, we run until the 90th minute and we can do it week in, week out."
Kasey Palmer makes the case for Chelsea to build a strong relationship with Huddersfield as a loan destination. Izzy Brown recently joined Palmer for the second half of the season, testifying to how highly Chelsea thinks of both Brown and David Wagner.
If Huddersfield are promoted at the end of this season, Chelsea may seek to extend Palmer’s loan. He would likely see more playing time with the Terriers than with the Blues, and could do so in a lower-pressure atmosphere. Hopefully Chelsea will not to do to him what they did to Tomas Kalas and send him back to the Championship with a different team after helping a club get promoted.
The option would be to send Palmer to the Bundesliga for a year to further round out his game. Palmer’s performance in the Championship shows that he is ready for top division football. The Bundesliga would bridge the gap between the Championship and the Premier League, exposing him to new styles of play while maintaining his development path.
Next: Goalkeeper dilemma for Chelsea as Craig Gordon emerges as target
Kasey Palmer is one of the rare loanees who speaks in glowing terms about his experience in the loan system. Granted, he was speaking to the official website, but there’s a reason they don’t interview Lucas Piazon. Chelsea are at long last making good on the loan army, with Victor Moses and Nathaniel Chalobah as the prime examples. Palmer is well positioned to follow in their footsteps, perhaps with several fewer loans.