Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has compared Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer to Manchester City star Jack Grealish and Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison.

Palmer, an England Under-21 international, joined the Blues from Manchester City on Deadline Day in a deal worth £42.5 million.

The 21-year-old signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge, adding another option to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.

“He’s the Jack Grealish, James Maddison type. He’s got lovely balance, a lovely left foot,” former Chelsea star Cole said.

“I’ve watched him mainly playing off the right, coming in on his left foot. But he could play as a 10.

“He can float anywhere in the final third, but he’s just a player that makes an impact.”

“Clearly the project is we buy young players under the age of 25, we give them long contracts and we develop them and teach them within our framework,” Cole added.

“There are a lot of footballers at Chelsea, so the project is going to be balancing that.

“It’s going to be that some can break through, and some can’t. It will be down to the individual. There are lots of players competing in each position.

“It’s going to be down to, when you come into the club: ‘This is what we expect, these are the standards, go out there and you’ve got to deliver’.

“It’s a high pressure environment and I’m sure Cole Palmer will fit in there fine.”