Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says the sheer depth of talent at Manchester City meant that Cole Palmer was unable to get the game time he needed at the Etihad.
Maresca coached Palmer during his time as Under 21 boss and assistant manager at the club, and he says the player’s talent was recognised but the “only problem” was there were others ahead of him in the pecking order:
“Everyone at City, they knew how good Cole is. The only problem is that having so many players there, it’s difficult to give all of them minutes, so no one at City thought that Cole was not good enough, no doubt.”
Palmer was sold to Chelsea for £42.5m just before the end of the summer transfer window last year and he has gone on to thrive at Stamford Bridge.
The player had to be “persuaded” to leave City
Speaking last week, Palmer confirmed that he wasn’t initially interested in moving away from the Etihad on a permanent basis. The midfielder was open to a loan deal but he was eventually “persuaded” to join Chelsea.
Based on Palmer’s performances over the last 15 months, many City fans will feel that the club should have done more to keep him.
A midfield revamp is on the cards
With Kevin De Bruyne’s contract set to expire at the end of the season and, with reports linking him with new MLS franchise San Diego FC, the club will likely be looking for a new playmaker next summer.
Palmer would, of course, have been an ideal player to succeed De Bruyne but it seems the Cityzens may now have to devote substantial resources in order to bring in the Belgian’s replacement. It is believed the club are eyeing a £100m deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
