Cole Palmer had an uncertain future going into the summer because he was a highly-rated midfielder with a lot of players standing in his way of getting opportunities at Manchester City, but his form at youth level forced Pep Guardiola to pay attention.
The departures of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling opened the door for Palmer too, as Guardiola opting against signing a like-for-like replacement out wide as he had Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva to choose from.
Where will Manchester City finish in the Premier League this season?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th or lower
Guardiola’s recent comments to reporters suggest he also considers Palmer as an alternative, however. He told the Manchester Evening News: “Cole isn’t going because we can’t loan him. He is one step forward from the other (academy players).
“If he is with us it is because he has a special quality. Unfortunately last season he was injured and now he feels good and he played really good in Barcelona. He is a player who can play with us and play in two or three different positions.”
Palmer has scored 20 goals with eight assists from 32 games for the U18s, scored 21 goals with 10 assists from 28 games for the U21s and scored three goals with one assist from 14 games for the first-team, so he’s the real deal.
A loan move away from City would likely see Palmer get more playing time, but he’s getting invaluable experience under Guardiola. Not to mention how much his game will improve training with the high calibre of talent.
In other news, what is Man City’s past record v UCL Group G?