Pundit John Hartson has said that he can’t believe Manchester City sold Cole Palmer to Chelsea.
Earlier this week, the Manchester club agreed a deal with Chelsea worth £42.5m to sell the winger.
This has now led to one pundit having his say on this particular bit of transfer business.
Hartson surprised by Palmer sale
Speaking in a recent edition of Team Talks by Premier League Productions (via Optus Sport),
He said: “I was slightly surprised. I never want to question Pep [Guardiola], because he’s brilliant, led the way for so many coaches, unbelievable manager, everything about him.
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“A young player, whether they’ve done it for financial fair play and trying to get a young player out, to try and maybe recoup some money, but to let a young player go to Chelsea, I thought Cole Palmer’s done well, I’ve seen him this season in the Community Shield and one or two other appearances.
“There’s obviously a reason why, there’s obviously the reason that he maybe doesn’t think he’ll come on in the likes of [Phil] Foden or two others.
“He was silky, he didn’t look out of place at all during that Community Shield, scored a brilliant goal. He looked like a Pep type of player, somebody that he’d bring on and improve and then to learn that he’s gone to Chelsea, slightly surprised I’ve got to say.”
After working his way through City’s youth ranks, making 64 appearances and delivering 42 goals and 19 assists in the process, Palmer went on to feature in 41 senior matches for Guardiola’s side, chipping in with six goals and two assists.
Two of those goals came earlier in this current season against Arsenal in the Community Shield, as Hartson mentioned, and Sevilla in the Super Cup, although he was an unused substitute for City’s Premier League matches against Necwastle United and Sheffield United.
Following the Super Cup victory, Palmer said to the media that he wants to play regularly this season, whether that would be at City or elsewhere.
This then led to Guardiola saying that the 21-year-old would either stay at the Manchester club or be sold on a permanent basis.
With Chelsea now landing a long-term deal for the Englishman, for a significantly high fee for a player with such little top-flight experience, we feel that the only way this would be a successful move from Palmer’s point of view would be if he were to be a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.