"I didn't give him the minutes he deserves" - Pep Guardiola on 'exceptional' Cole Palmer's exit from Manchester City ahead of Chelsea clash
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has opened up about Cole Palmer's exit from the club ahead of his side's FA Cup semi-final clash against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday (20 April).
Palmer has been in extraordinary form for the Blues this season, contributing massively to the club's offensive output. The England international has racked up 25 goals and 13 assists in 41 appearances for Chelsea across competitions this term.
His performances this campaign have led to criticism over Guardiola's decision to let such a talented player leave his squad. However, the Spaniard has now said that Palmer requested to leave the club for the past two seasons, presumably to search for game time.
While the young attacker registered 41 appearances for City after his first-team promotion in 2021, Palmer struggled to break into the starting XI. He then joined Chelsea last summer for a reported £40 million and has been their talisman this term.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup semi-finals, Guardiola was asked whether he regrets his decision to sanction Palmer's exit. The Manchester City manager said (via Sky Sports):
“He was asking for two seasons to leave Man City. I said: stay. He wanted to leave. What can we do?!"
He also admitted that Palmer did not receive enough game time at Manchester City, saying:
“He’s an exceptional player with super potential... I didn't give him the minutes he deserves that he now has at Chelsea.”
The Cityzens are currently first in the Premier League table, two points ahead of Arsenal (second) and Liverpool (third).
"He wanted to prove himself" - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino opens up about Cole Palmer's exit from Manchester City
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino recently spoke about Cole Palmer's thoughts about his exit from Manchester City. The Argentine said that Palmer remains grateful to Guardiola and holds no resentment towards his former club.
He also said that the England international wanted to prove that he could play at the biggest stage at a different club. During his pre-match press conference, Pochettino said (via football.london):
"He already played twice [vs Man City]. He is very grateful with Man City, with Pep Guardiola, he always talks very highly about them. He's not this type of player to have something inside. He understood perfectly that maybe for different reasons he wanted to prove himself at another club."
He added, thanking City for allowing Palmer to leave:
"Thank you to Manchester City for giving the opportunity for him to move to another club."
Palmer is challenging for the Premier League Golden Boot this season, having scored 20 league goals for the Blues. He is currently on par with Erling Haaland as the league's top goalscorer this term.