Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has hailed Cole Palmer for his impact at the club this season.

Chelsea signed up Cole Palmer from Manchester City last summer for a fee around £42.5million.

Palmer has been hailed as the signing of the season by many, and Malouda believes that the 21-year-old can become a top class player.

Malouda even likened Cole Palmer’s quality to that of France superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Speaking in an interview with Gambling Zone, Malouda said: “I’ve been very impressed with Cole Palmer this season.

“He is definitely one of the best signings that Chelsea have made in a long time. He is a very talented, skilful player, but what also impresses me about him is his football IQ and his maturity.

“He is a very mature player. You can even see that in his celebration: he is cold. In the situations he finds himself in, you have to remain ice cold to take advantage and to make the right decision.

“You’re making complex decisions in fractions of seconds, so you need to have that ability to assess and analyse everything that is happening around you. He does that. He has a contagious ability; he makes other players better.

“I’ve seen his connection with other players and also how he reacts when things don’t go his way – he never loses his focus. He always makes the right decision, which is very impressive for a young player in his first full season.

Malouda continued: “I think that what Palmer has shown this season is the same ability that Mbappe showed when he first burst onto the scene at Monaco.

“Cole is a little bit older than Kylian was when he broke through, but in terms of his decision making, his calmness and his ability, he reminds me of Mbappe. That tells you everything about his potential and how far he could go.”