Cole Palmer’s impact at Manchester City is gradually affirming the club’s decision to invest £42 million in securing his services. Since his arrival last summer, Palmer has showcased immense talent and potential, making significant contributions to the team’s success
When Cole Palmer left Manchester City for Chelsea in the summer, there was one fixture he would have prioritised over all others when assessing his new calendar. That game takes place this weekend, as Palmer returns to the Etihad with a point to prove.
Palmer had played a supporting role in the previous two seasons until being promoted from the academy last year. He performed well in the competitions, but struggled to capitalise on his Premier League opportunities when handed late cameos. He appeared to be a young player conflicted between expressing himself and restraining his natural attacking inclinations in favour of recycling possession, as Pep Guardiola preferred.
The winger was a major player in England’s U21 European Championship victory during the summer and returned to City with crucial equalisers in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup. He was eager to take the next step, but he was aware that prospects at the Etihad would remain restricted. The writing was on the wall when he hinted about departing following the Super Cup victory in Athens.
On deadline day, the choice was made. Palmer received a decent offer from Chelsea, and City did not stand in his way. It was a tragedy to lose a player of Palmer’s calibre and talent, but everyone knew deep down that he wouldn’t get the game time he desired if he stayed. £42 million offered good value for a player who had only made three Premier League appearances.
Palmer left City with 41 appearances and six goals, none in the league. Following his legendary FA Cup goal at Swindon in 2022, he said the classic words ‘Prem soon arrive’ in reference to his first Premier League goal. He would not score the goal until he departed City.
Palmer has not looked back since he moved to Stamford Bridge. He scored his first goal and now has ten in the league, along with six assists. 12 goals and nine assists in 28 games is an unheard-of return, and City may not have expected such an immediate effect. When Palmer stepped up at Stamford Bridge to score an injury-time penalty in the thrilling 4-4 draw earlier this season, they learned the hard way.
Palmer acknowledges that his motivation for returning to the Etihad is to prove that City made a mistake in letting him go. “I aim to do it every game, so let’s see. It’ll be a tough game,” he observed in his usual deadpan tone.
His departure was solely determined by time constraints. He is one minute shy of 1,500 minutes in the Premier League this season for Chelsea, having started 16 games, including 15 of the past 16 when he was available. He has also started eight cup games, including each round that led to the Carabao Cup final. He hasn’t simply grabbed his chance away from City; he has insisted that he be the first name on Chelsea’s squad sheet.
He deserves all of the acclaim he is receiving, as well as the possibility of playing for England at the conclusion of the season. City will not be surprised to see their academy graduate shine from regular starts, but they will also understand that he would not have received those minutes at the Etihad.
City are seeing a similar trend with Brahim Diaz at Real Madrid, who is thriving in La Liga and the Champions League after a run of games. He performed well at AC Milan, whilst Jadon Sancho flourished at Borussia Dortmund. If they allow a young player to leave because they want more playing time, they will be confident that they will succeed at their new team. That is why the club insisted on exorbitant transfer prices and, in many cases, large sell-on clauses and buy-back options.
Palmer has now increased his Premier League appearances in just a season away from City. There is no way he would have had anywhere like such performance under Pep Guardiola, since only three forwards have played more league minutes for City this season. Julian Alvarez (1,941 minutes), Phil Foden (1,865 minutes), and Bernardo Silva (1,512 minutes) have all spent significant time in the middle of the pitch, rather than on the flank, where Palmer would have played.
If he had remained, his nearest challengers would have been Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and Oscar Bobb. Bobb has 112, Grealish has 702, and Doku has 976 minutes. Guardiola has changed his system to invert his wingers, with the typical wide player appearing less this season.
Palmer may have been midway between Doku and Bobb in the pecking order, with Doku starting 14 times across all competitions and Bobb starting three but not in the league. Whatever the hypotheticals, he would not have started 15 consecutive games. Nobody does that at City, unless they are named Ederson, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, or Erling Haaland.
He would not have scored his five penalties against City either; good luck getting the ball off Haaland. Bobb had more Premier League goal involvements in seven substitute appearances (one goal, one assist) than Palmer did in two seasons. Palmer has not looked back, and neither has City.
Palmer is not necessarily proving City wrong. They were well aware of his abilities and the dangers of allowing that characteristic to be lost. Given the large transfer fee for a guy with limited experience, he appears to be proving them correct. How many other young players without a goal in 24 months of Premier League experience would earn more than £40 million?
He should be welcomed back on Saturday as an academy success story, not one that slipped away. He’s achieving what City always knew he could; it’s just a bad he’s wearing a royal blue shirt instead of a sky blue one.