In a candid admission, Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, acknowledges his role in Cole Palmer’s departure to Chelsea, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the young talent’s transfer.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola assumes full accountability for Cole Palmer’s departure to Chelsea, acknowledging his role in the matter. Palmer, aged 21, made the switch to Chelsea from City for a fee of up to £42.5m in September and could potentially face his former team at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Since departing City, Palmer has earned his first two England caps and netted 10 goals in the Premier League. Guardiola expressed understanding of Palmer’s desire for more playing time, stating, “After two or three seasons he wanted more minutes than the last season. I understand completely”.
“If Palmer had the minutes I gave to Phil [Foden] from the beginning, Cole Palmer would be here – but I didn’t give them to him. That is my responsibility. Why? Because of Bernardo [Silva], Riyad [Mahrez], Phil. In that moment, I chose the other ones.”
Palmer, a product of City’s academy, began two Premier League matches in the 2022-23 season and made 12 substitute appearances as City secured the title. Despite Palmer’s potential, Guardiola opted for other players like Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, and Phil Foden, which impacted Palmer’s opportunities.
Mahrez’s departure to Al-Ahli and Palmer’s contributions to City, including goals in the Community Shield against Arsenal and the European Super Cup win over Sevilla, preceded his move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day.
Guardiola acknowledged the inevitability of young players seeking more playing time and was pleased for Palmer’s opportunity at Chelsea. Palmer’s impact at Chelsea, where he is the leading scorer and top assist-maker, does not surprise Guardiola, who commends his quality and threat on the field.
“For young players, we always want them to stay but this is normal,” added Guardiola. “After one season it is nice, and the second season, but the third season it is, ‘Oh guys, I want to play, I don’t want to sit on the bench’. It’s normal. We understand as a club. We got an offer from an incredible top club like Chelsea and I’m really happy for him. In all clubs these types of things happen.”
On the other hand, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Palmer does not need to prove himself against City. Pochettino emphasizes Palmer’s gratitude for his time at City and his decision to seek new challenges and more playing time.
He emphasizes that players leaving for such reasons shouldn’t be seen negatively and acknowledges City’s status as one of the best teams globally, making playing time a challenge for young players.
“He’s not the type of player that needs to prove anything,” said Pochettino.”I think he really is very grateful for his period at Manchester City, [but] he left because he wanted to find another challenge and to have the possibility to play more. Man City have an amazing squad. [Clubs] make decisions that we think are the best for the team. It doesn’t mean someone is not a good player.”
“Players want to leave and you can’t stop them because you can’t provide the game time. It’s unfair to say they’re going to regret it. Man City are one of the best teams in the world and it’s not easy to find the space to play for a young guy.”
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