Cole Palmer told how to beat Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Haaland to Ballon d'Or

Cole Palmer has been told to produce the goods on the biggest stages if he wants to be in contention to ever win the Ballon d’Or.

Palmer has been in sensational form since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in a shock £42.5m deal last season. The attacking midfielder plundered 25 goals for Chelsea last season.

And he has followed this up with six more from eight games this time round, including four in last weekend’s thrashing of Brighton at Stamford Bridge. Palmer, who also starred for England in the Euros this summer, is now considered to be one of the brightest talents in Europe.

But World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit insists Palmer needs to replicate his best form in both the Champions League and international stage for England, before he can stand a chance of landing the most coveted individual prize in the game.

France and Arsenal legend Petit told BetBrain: “In order for Cole Palmer to be considered for the Ballon d’Or, he needs to show the same quality as he has done this season in both the Champions League and with his national team.

“That is the last step he needs to reach if he wants to win the Ballon D’Or. At the moment he’s certainly one of the best players in the Premier League and Europe in his position, but he has to reach the same standards as other players do on the European and international scene.

“He’s had a brilliant season so far and was also the best player on the pitch for Chelsea last year when they were struggling. I thought the first couple of games this season he was a bit quiet, but step by step he’s regained that form, and what he did against Brighton on Saturday was simply amazing.

“He scored four goals, but could have had six in the first half. He’s the kind of player that Enzo Maresca needs on the pitch. He leads by example to the rest of the team, and has a great personality on the pitch. I love watching him play.”