Ally McCoist argues why Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is not actually world-class right now

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Ally McCoist has been discussing the brilliance of Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer, but he’s arguing that he’s not yet a world-class player.

Cole Palmer, 22, has been sensational since he arrived at Stamford Bridge over a year ago. In 54 Chelsea appearances, he’s scored 31 goals and created 20 assists.

The left-footed attacker was remarkable during his debut season last year under Mauricio Pochettino, and he’s picked up where he left off this term with Enzo Maresca now in the manager’s dugout.

Palmer, who joined the Blues for £40m (Sky Sports) last summer from Manchester City, isn’t included in Chelsea’s 10 most expensive signings of all time. He’s quickly climbing the list of the club’s best transfers ever, though.

• READ MORE: Graeme Souness shares what he really likes about ‘sensible’ Chelsea star Cole Palmer on the football pitch

Cole Palmer isn’t world-class

According to talkSPORT pundit Ally McCoist, Chelsea’s Palmer shouldn’t be put in the world-class bracket quite yet. His main reason is that the Blues youngster needs more time and the true greats have longevity behind them.

When asked if Palmer is world class, McCoist told talkSPORT (7:41am, 8 October): “Probably or arguably the best player in the league at this moment in time. Phenomenal goalscoring return and assist. Not done it for long enough, not world-class. It’s about longevity.”

Here is a look at Palmer’s senior record so far in his career:

Do Chelsea have any superstars?

If you rewind the clocks at Chelsea, there was a time when their squad was absolutely filled with world-class names at the same time. They were fortunate to have the likes of Petr Cech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba all playing together for a long period.

Now, the current Chelsea cycle means they’ve got a lot of young talents with potential rather than world-class abilities.

We’d highlight Palmer as an exception in the group because he’s been in a league of his own for over a year now. If Moises Caicedo can keep up his form in the midfield, it won’t be long until he’s universally recognised as an elite player as well.