According to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Cole Palmer had been requesting to leave the club for two years before eventually joining Chelsea.
Palmer, 21, was sold to Chelsea for £42.5m on deadline day in September. Since then, Palmer has scored 20 top-flight goals and is now tied with City’s Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League Golden Boot standings.
“In pre-season, I said stay because Riyad [Mahrez] has gone and he said ‘no, I want to leave’,” said Guardiola.
“After two seasons, what could I say?”
Palmer’s remarkable performance included scoring four goals against Everton on April 15, bringing his league tally to 20 for the season. He is poised to face his former side in their FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.
Palmer is now being touted to win the PFA Player of the Year award and secure a spot in England manager Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad. His outstanding performances have led to questions about Guardiola’s decision to let Palmer go.
The City boss, however, maintains that it was impossible to retain Palmer. Despite the recognition Palmer has received, Guardiola defends his decision to sell him.
“He was asking for two seasons to leave,” said Guardiola. “I said ‘no, stay’. What could we do?”
Palmer signed a five-year contract with City in 2021. At that time, he had made two senior appearances for the club. Despite this, he had only started three Premier League games when he left. Guardiola acknowledges that it was probably not enough.
Palmer’s departure is regrettable, but Guardiola accepts the reality of the situation. Despite signing a long-term contract, Palmer’s limited playing time led him to leave City.
Guardiola recognizes that it’s likely Palmer needed more game time to develop and thrive, which is something City couldn’t guarantee him at the time.
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