Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer says he did not force through a move away from Manchester City last year.
Speaking to British GQ, the 22-year-old claims that he only decided to make the switch to Stamford Bridge after being persuaded that he would play on a more regular basis:
“I wasn’t even gonna go [to] Chelsea. I got persuaded. I just knew I wasn’t going to play as much as I wanted to.”
“Even when I was going to England [camps] with younger age groups, you had players there who were playing in the league every week.”
“You’re looking around thinking, I can play in the league. When you’re not playing, it’s annoying.”
Palmer has exploded since moving to Chelsea
There is no doubt that the move has worked out for the player. Since joining the Blues, the midfielder has scored 32 goals and provided 20 assists in 58 appearances.
Palmer also made his England debut in November last year, going on to play at Euro 2024 for his country where he scored in the final against Spain.
He is currently regarded as the favourite for this season’s PFA Player of the Year, succeeding Phil Foden as the award’s recipient.
City could not offer the game time the player wanted
Manager Pep Guardiola is very honest about the fact that he doesn’t want unhappy players around the squad, and he has made it clear he would never stand in the way of anyone who feels their future lies away from the Etihad.
While Palmer’s departure does sting for supporters, it won’t be the first or last time it will happen. Players such as Leroy Sane, Joao Cancelo and Julian Alvarez have left under similar circumstances and the Cityzens have continued to win titles.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
