Manchester City often get their player decisions spot on – but one move the club made in recent times has now really come under the spotlight.
Manchester City tend to make the right calls when it comes to allowing players to leave the club.
They do not stand in players’ ways when they want to move on, so long as whoever is interested in them pays up.
It is fair to say, that City do not have too many regrets regarding player exits.
But there is one player out there right now who is just making some City fans a little uncomfortable due to how well he has done since he left in 2023.
And that player, of course, is Cole Palmer.
City’s former U23s head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has been speaking about Palmer, having played a big part in his development.
Cole Palmer’s one ‘amazing ability’ in the Man City EDS as Oscar Bobb comparison made
Cole Palmer has gone from strength to strength after leaving City for Chelsea last summer.
The 22-year-old raised eyebrows with that move at the time, joining the Blues for £42.5 million.
But Palmer has made a mockery of that transfer fee and is easily worth over double that now, after scoring 31 goals and making 19 assists in just 53 appearances.
Arguably, Palmer would not be the same player he is today had he stayed at City.
He has been able to thrive at Chelsea due to playing regularly and being the main man, something he likely wouldn’t have been able to do at the Etihad Stadium.
It is a move that has really worked out for him, and Barry-Murphy is happy for the youngster he knew very well from their time in the EDS together.
He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “He had an amazing ability to do the biggest sprint distances, the biggest repeat running, and he had incredible one-v-one (ability). He could beat players in a flash.
“They are different players, but quite similar to Oscar Bobb.”
Palmer an amazing reflection of Man City coaches
Palmer is now one of the best players in the Premier League and his rise over the last year has been amazing to see.
City probably got it wrong selling Palmer, especially since he was showing signs of being a natural replacement for Riyad Mahrez.
But the deal was done and City now have to live with their decision, which Alan Shearer believes was definitely the right one for the player. And sadly, unlike many other deals City have done, there are no buy-back or sell-on clauses over Palmer.
So City fans will simply have to watch him flourish at Chelsea.
His amazing development is at least a very good reflection of the coaches at City though, with Palmer having looked a cut above his teammates at Stamford Bridge from the moment he walked through the door.
Hopefully, Oscar Bobb will soon show exactly why City felt comfortable enough to let Palmer go.
The Norweigan is currently out injured and not expected back until the end of the year, but looks like he could become one of City’s very best talents to come from the EDS.
