Pep Guardiola says Cole Palmer asked for “two seasons” to leave Man City

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, revealed that Cole Palmer, a star player for Chelsea, expressed his desire to leave the Premier League champions for “two seasons” before eventually moving to Stamford Bridge last summer.

City will confront their former player in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday, where Palmer has become Mauricio Pochettino’s most potent asset this season.

Since his £42.5m transfer to Chelsea at the start of the current campaign, Palmer has excelled, netting 23 goals in various competitions, including 20 in the Premier League.

With limited playing time at Manchester City in recent seasons, Palmer’s move was deemed necessary for his development, especially given the abundance of talent at the club.

Guardiola noted that Palmer had expressed his desire to leave City for two seasons, but the coach had intervened until last summer.

Cole Palmer was eager to depart from Manchester City in order to enhance his development as a player.

Guardiola, speaking via Sky Sports during his press conference on Friday, praised Cole Palmer as an exceptional player, acknowledging that they were aware of his talent during his time at Manchester City.

Guardiola admitted that he didn’t provide Palmer with the minutes he perhaps deserved, which led to his decision to seek opportunities elsewhere, now flourishing at Chelsea. Guardiola expressed happiness for Palmer’s success and acknowledged his potential despite being a reserved individual.

He explained that Palmer had expressed his desire to leave for two seasons, but the decision was made for various reasons. Guardiola attempted to convince Palmer to stay, even suggesting it during pre-season when Riyad Mahrez departed, but ultimately respected Palmer’s decision to pursue opportunities elsewhere.