Revealed: Cole Palmer believed in life-long Manchester City stay before Chelsea switch | OneFootball

Cole Palmer believed he would become a life-long Manchester City player, before a situation arose in the summer of 2023 that ultimately led to his Chelsea transfer.

Having starred for Manchester City in both the FA Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup finals in and around the start of the 2023/24 season, there was a belief that Palmer could become an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s set-up that campaign.

Such a view also followed on from Riyad Mahrez’s exit for Saudi Arabia earlier in the summer, with some believing that Palmer would be the natural successor to the hugely successful Algerian forward.

However, following a swift turn of events in and around transfer deadline day, Manchester City and Chelsea would finalise an agreement for the Etihad Stadium youth academy graduate that would see Palmer make a £42.5 million move to West London.

Since then, Palmer has become a poster figure of the Stamford Bridge side, winning a staggering collection of individual prizes along the way including numerous Premier League Player of the Month awards and Chelsea’s Player of the Season title for 2023/24, too.

Now, speaking during various conversations as part of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘England’s Lions: A New Generation‘ documentary – available from Saturday 15 March – Cole Palmer and his father revealed the truth behind his Manchester City exit in the summer of 2023.

“I was so adamant for ages that I wasn’t going,” the now-Chelsea forward revealed. “I’ve never moved out of Manchester. I really didn’t want to go.”

The reigning Premier League Young Player of the Year continued, “(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.

“I’m thankful; I have no idea what I’d do if I wasn’t a footballer. Actually zero idea. Growing up with around Wythenshawe, everyone does footy or drugs. There are two paths. I just love football so much. You don’t get there with no graft, do you?”

Cole Palmer’s father, Jermaine went on to reveal the belief from his son that Manchester City would go on to be his club for life, and having no intention to leave at any stage, up until a situation that arose between all parties in the summer of 2023.

Jermaine Palmer said, “He thought he’d be at City all his life. He didn’t really want to leave. He wanted to go out on loan because he knew he wasn’t going to play much. But they refused him a loan. So he said he’d have to leave.”

Manchester City are not believed to have any future involvement in Cole Palmer’s playing career despite his immense success as a Chelsea player, having often embedded sell-on and buy-back clauses into agreements for their most highly-rated young stars.

In fact, a recent approach from Chelsea for City’s Nico O’Reilly fell apart during the January transfer window due to the latter’s demand for a buy-back clause in a deal, largely as a result of Cole Palmer’s success story since leaving the club.

Despite the obvious regret that will no doubt sit within the City camp over Cole Palmer’s story, there will be little to no chance of a return for the player, particularly given the remarkable transfer fee that will no doubt be involved in any transfer for Cole Palmer in future.