Chelsea have moved decisively to shut down speculation over Cole Palmer’s future, insisting the England international is “untouchable” despite reports linking him with a move to Manchester United.

Palmer, tied to Chelsea on a long-term contract through 2033, has been central to the club’s rebuilding project since arriving from Manchester City in a £40m deal. Rumours had suggested the 23-year-old was unsettled in London and open to a return to the north west with United, but inside Stamford Bridge the message is unequivocal: Palmer is going nowhere.

Head coach Liam Rosenior has been particularly forthright, dismissing the noise around his star playmaker as an attempt to destabilise Chelsea just as a new regime beds in. He describes Palmer as both “very happy” at the club and integral to his plans, stressing that there has been no need for assurances from the hierarchy because a sale is not under consideration.

Palmer’s season has been disrupted by groin, toe and thigh problems, the latest of which kept him out of Chelsea’s win at Crystal Palace. Even so, his importance is underlined by his swift return to training ahead of their Champions League tie against Napoli. After a breakout campaign last term, when he scored 15 league goals and supplied 11 assists, he has four goals in 12 Premier League appearances this season and remains the creative reference point in Chelsea’s attack.

Since joining from City, Palmer has produced 41 goals and 20 assists in 81 league games for the Blues, numbers that explain both United’s interest and Chelsea’s refusal to engage.

While Palmer is off-limits, Chelsea are far more active in reshaping other areas of the squad. In defence, they are in talks with Rennes over highly rated centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who is understood to favour a move to Stamford Bridge despite rival interest from Bayern Munich, Liverpool and others. Rennes are holding out for around €65m and would prefer to keep the 20-year-old until the summer, complicating any January deal.

Axel Disasi is expected to depart before the window closes, with clubs in England, Germany, France and Italy monitoring the situation. West Ham and Fiorentina are among those considering a move as Rosenior fine-tunes his defensive options for the second half of the season.