Cole Palmer has signed a new nine-year contract at Chelsea, prompting bemusement and more questions around Chelsea’s ownership. The 22-year-old, who excelled at Stamford Bridge last season after his move from Manchester City, is now tied down until 2033.
Handing out almost decade-long contracts is unprecedented and difficult to comprehend, particularly in a sport as changeable and unpredictable as football. But Chelsea are beginning to develop a reputation for it: Enzo Fernandez is under contract until 2032, while Moises Caicedo, Pedro Neto and Mykhaylo Mudryk are all tied down until 2031.
Palmer’s new contract is among the longest in football history, although Inaki Williams also earned himself a nine-year deal at Athletic Club back in 2019. Given the Basque club’s self-imposed restraints - they can only sign players from their region of Spain - the winger’s lengthy contract was perhaps more understandable.
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Lionel Messi, meanwhile, signed a nine-year contract with Barcelona in 2005, a decision that proved prescient from the Catalan club. Chelsea will hope that Palmer goes on to do equally great things.
Atletico Madrid handed a nine-year deal to Saul Niguez in 2017, although that was later interrupted by an unsuccessful loan move to Chelsea. Brazilian midfielder Denilson earned himself a 10-year contract at Real Betis in 1998 having joined the Spanish club for a world-record fee after the World Cup.
And Spain is also where the longest-ever contracts - theoretically - have been signed. Iker Casillas, Raul and Andres Iniesta were all offered lifetime contracts at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. None of these players saw out their careers at their clubs, though: Casillas eventually left for Porto, Raul went to Schalke and Iniesta left for Vissel Kobe.
Palmer’s deal is not completely unique, then, and it does not guarantee that he will stay at Chelsea. But it does give the club plenty of financial leverage if at some point the England international opts for a new challenge elsewhere.
If not, he will be plying his trade at Stamford Bridge until his early 30s, by which time we might all be travelling in flying cars and having conversations with AI robots.
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