The attacker is one of the most productive forwards in the Premier League this season but did not have the patience to make it with City
Manchester City must have thought they were quids in when they sold Cole Palmer to Chelsea for £42.5 million ($53m) given they had barely used him in the first team. Palmer was the star export among a flurry of academy players to leave City last summer, banking the club £156m ($196m) within the last two years.
But as they have watched Palmer flourish in an otherwise malfunctioning Chelsea team, City might now be thinking they were short-changed when they let him leave. Palmer has racked up 12 goals and nine assists for his new club and came back to haunt his boyhood club when he starred in Chelsea's thrilling 4-4 draw with City in November.
The winger will be Chelsea's main threat again when City host the Blues on Saturday, knowing that Arsenal and Liverpool will be waiting to pounce on any mistake from Guardiola's side.
Getty Always on the fringes
Palmer left City with 41 senior appearances but the truth is he was always on the fringes of the side. He made just two Premier League starts last season, both after the title had been sewn up, and only one the year before, while he never played a minute of Champions League football.
His starts were mostly confined to the domestic cups and he routinely delivered, scoring his first senior goal in a Carabao Cup thrashing of Wycombe Wanders before making a stunning appearance in the 4-1 win at Swindon Town in the the FA Cup in January 2022.
It was then that Palmer exhibited his Mancunian swagger, saying of the getting his first goal in the oldest Cup competition in football: "Yeah delighted, Prem soon come." His confidence, bordering on arrogance and sounding a bit like Liam Gallagher, brought a smile to many City fans' faces.
But his cocky demeanour probably did not chime well with Guardiola, who wants to foster a culture of humility in his squad and insists that academy graduates have to truly earn their place in the first team. Palmer played no more games that season for the senior side even though he was frequently named as a substitute.
AdvertisementGetty Super Cup glory then exit talks
He made further inroads into the team last season but again it was mostly in the lesser competitions and even then he started just one game in the FA Cup, only coming off the bench in the semi-final against Sheffield United when Guardiola had made wholesale changes to his line-up.
That must have been deeply frustrating for Palmer after first getting called into Guardiola's squad in July 2020. Almost three years on, he was enjoying just a smattering of appearances, watching his fellow squad members storm to the treble.
"Prem" did not soon come and when the new Premier League season started at Burnley, Palmer was again on the bench, despite starring and scoring in the Community Shield against Arsenal.
Palmer was again decisive in the UEFA Super Cup, grabbing the equaliser to send the match with Sevilla to penalties, where his side prevailed. But after the game it was becoming clear that Palmer would not be staying at City for long.
"The opinion I had is he wanted to leave, but now I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Guardiola said in Athens, just moments after hoisting another trophy. "He’s going to stay or leave, but I think a loan is not going to happen. I understand he wants to be more active than the previous season. But Riyad [Mahrez] has gone, so we have one more place there."
Even on the night in which Palmer had stepped up and proved his worth, Guardiola seemed to be questioning his true commitment to the club.
GettyAt odds with Guardiola
Palmer, though, had reasons to also doubt whether or not he would get a consistent run in the team. Riyad Mahrez had left, but two days before the Super Cup reports emerged that City were in talks to sign Jeremy Doku, putting another obstacle between Palmer and regular first team football.
Palmer had also just helped lead England's under-21 side to the European Championship. He backed himself to succeed in the Premier League but could not guarantee he would do so at City. Who can blame him for not entertaining the prospect of yet another season on the bench?
Guardiola again seemed to question Palmer's commitment to City ahead of their last match in November. He said: "Cole arrived and accepted some processes and then after one or two years said: ‘No, I don’t want to play here, I am not going to play.’ But I said: ‘Riyad [Mahrez] is leaving, you are going to get a chance here,’ and he said: ‘No, I am not going to play here, I want to leave,’ so I said: ‘OK, leave.' He got what he wanted. It is good for him."
Palmer saw it differently and has since claimed he was in favour of a loan move instead. He preferred to return to City with a year of regular football under his belt and be better equipped to fight for his place in Guardiola's star-studded team.
"My thing was to never leave City. That was not my intention. I wanted to go on loan for a year, come back and be ready for the first team. But they said I couldn't go on loan, either stay or you get sold," Palmer told in January. "So then, Chelsea rang me. I said I wanted to go to Chelsea and I'm really happy to be here. I'm very glad I made the decision to come here."
Getty Images'Cold Palmer'
Palmer has been a revelation at Chelsea and within his second month at the club had made more league starts than he had in three years with City. He also got that goal he craved in the Premier League, breaking his duck with a penalty at Burnley. He has since scored nine more, earning the nickname 'Cold Palmer' from his team-mate Noni Madueke. His goals have put him among the top 10 scorers in the league this season. If you add his six assists, he is among the top six players for goal contributions.
His goal tally dwarfs every City player aside from Erling Haaland while only Phil Foden has set up more goals. The Chelsea winger has admitted he has exceeded his own expectations, even if they were pretty high in the first place. "I cant deny that. I wanted to get into the team, play and show what I can do. But to get in the team straight away and hit the ground running has surprised me to be fair," he added in his interview.
Guardiola has not been surprised either, insisting he knew that Palmer would thrive once given regular football. "I didn't have any doubts about his quality," the City coach told a press conference before Palmer's return to the Etihad Stadium. "The way he's playing is a star player. He wanted the minutes, it was a question of time to show his immense quality. Cole Palmer is an exceptional player and a lovely lad and of course I wish him well at Chelsea."