Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer claims he he had no choice but to leave Manchester City to get game time.
Speaking in a documentary for Amazon Prime (quotes via the Daily Mail), Palmer said that he had no interest in moving clubs but he felt the decision was forced upon him:
“I was so adamant for ages that I wasn’t going. I’ve never moved out of Manchester. I really didn’t want to go. (But) You get a bit disheartened at City – why am I not getting a chance to play? You just know when you’re ready to play.”
Palmer’s father Jermaine said that, when City “refused” to send him out loan, that is when his son made it clear that he wanted a permanent exit from the club. He was sold to Chelsea for £42m in August 2023.
City may regret their decision
A loan move seemed a reasonable request at the time. Palmer wasn’t a regular starter but he had shown in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup in the weeks prior to his departure that he was ready to make the step up.
Manager Pep Guardiola couldn’t guarantee him first-team opportunities, though, and that ultimately led to the parting of ways. Palmer has since gone on to excel at both club and international level.
The club may have a similar problem with McAtee
It has been reported that multiple clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, are hoping to snap up James McAtee this summer. While the 22-year-old has started games for City this campaign, he has had limited minutes in the Premier League and Champions League.
If McAtee does make similar demands to Palmer, it has been suggested that Guardiola won’t stand in the way of the player leaving.
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