Paul Scholes rues cheap Chelsea transfer as Man Utd and Erik ten Hag questioned

Paul Scholes has questioned and for missing out on Cole Palmer to Chelsea. The England attacker, who is a boyhood United fan, left Manchester City for Chelsea in 2023.

Palmer has been exceptional since joining the Blues in a now-bargain £40million switch. But United would have been well aware of his talent from a young age, having watched him develop at neighbours City.

Scholes wonders how United managed to miss such a talent and claims Palmer might have been able to lift them up the Premier League - which in turn might have saved Ten Hag's job. The Dutchman was sacked on Monday with his side 14th after four top-flight defeats in nine matches.

"He's been brilliant. I think he's brilliant. He's a big United fan as well. How did we miss him? We wouldn't be 14th in the league if he'd come," Scholes told .

"Brilliant player, some talent. Goals, assists, he's got everything."

Palmer has excelled at Stamford Bridge since being freed from his struggle to break into City's team as a young player. The 22-year-old scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists during his debut campaign and has remarkably seemed to go up another level this term.

Playing more centrally under Enzo Maresca, Palmer has already bagged seven goals this season. The Italian's appointment in the summer has largely been a success so far, with several players benefitting from his tactical tweaks.

Palmer told the Telegraph earlier this month: "Playing centrally has given me more opportunities to influence the game. I enjoy being involved in the build-up and making key passes as well as scoring. It suits my style, and I think I can be even more effective there."

Meanwhile, United's signings under Ten Hag have struggled to make an impact. Antony, the player closest in style to Palmer at Old Trafford, was an £86m arrival from Ajax and has already found himself way down the pecking order for the wide positions.

The Brazilian cost more than double the fee Chelsea paid for Palmer and has failed to match his rival's output. Other additions since Ten Hag's appointment in 2022, such as Mason Mount and Casemiro, did not live up to expectations.

United can be forgiven for not signing Palmer a little over 12 months ago. At City, he had struggled to break into Pep Guardiola's team and was being linked with moves to teams further down the Premier League when Chelsea took a punt on a £40m deal.

At the time, that fee came under scrutiny and was perceived to be too high. A little over a year on and Palmer could help the Blues finish above United for the second season in a row.