COLE MINOR TO MAJOR
PEP: I couldn’t give Palmer the game time at City but I always knew he would become a top player
BY
PEP GUARDIOLA says he has no regrets over allowing Cole Palmer to join Chelsea even though he knew he would become a star.
Manchester City manager Guardiola will come face to face with his former player (below) tonight when his side host Mauricio Pochettino’s men at the Etihad.
There were raised eyebrows in football last summer when City agreed to sell academyproduct Palmer to one of their biggest rivals in a £42.5million deal. Palmer has gone on to become one of Chelsea’s stand-out performers this season.
The attacking midfielder has scored 12 goals, provided a number of assists, and earned a first call-up to the England squad.
Palmer told Guardiola he wanted to leave the champions to secure regular firstteam football. And Guardiola says he has no complaints because he’s genuinely happy the 21-year-old is thriving at Stamford Bridge.
The City boss said: “If he could play regularly, as has happened this season, then yes (knew he would succeed).
“We didn’t have any doubts about his quality. The way he is playing, he’s already an exceptional player.
“For young players, we always want them to stay, but this is normal. After two or three seasons, he wanted more minutes than he had last season.
“He moved on and I understand completely.
“We knew the quality he has and the impact he has shown this season is enormous. It is not just goals and assists, it is the quality – and we knew all about it. He is an incredible threat for Chelsea.”
Guardiola reckons if he’d given Palmer the same kind of opportunities he’s handed to Phil Foden, the Chelsea star would have made the same impact at the Etihad.
He said: “If Palmer had the minutes I gave to Phil from the beginning he would be here.
“But I didn’t give it to him. That is my responsibility. Why? Bernardo (Silva), Riyad (Mahrez), Phil. In that moment I chose the other ones.
“After the third season he is like: ‘I want to play, I don’t want to sit on the bench.’ It’s normal.
“We got an offer from a top club like Chelsea and I’m really happy for him..”
Another of Guardiola’s former favourites who made the move to Chelsea is not having the same impact as Palmer. Raheem Sterling is struggling to recapture the form he showed in a City shirt but Guardiola has piled praise on the England winger – and says City wouldn’t have been able to become the dominant force in English football without him.
He added: “He was unbelievable. He was there for us, especially in the first seasons when we couldn’t think about achieving what we did without him. He was an incredibly important player for us. He really was. His contribution was massive. His speed and continued movements. He was a really important player.”
When these two sides met at Stamford Bridge in November, Palmer scored a late leveller from the penalty spot in an incredible 4-4 draw.
By the time they kick off this evening, City could be five points behind Liverpool, who play at Brentford at lunchtime.
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