Palmer admits he did not want Chelsea transfer

Suraj Radia

• 13 Mar 2025 10:45 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Cole Palmer has admitted he was ‘adamant’ he would not leave Manchester City for Chelsea prior to his transfer in 2023 and felt he would stay with his former club for life.

Palmer joined the Blues on deadline day in September 2023 for a fee of €47 million, having been unconvinced that he would gain significant minutes in Pep Guardiola’s City squad.

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The 22-year-old’s gamble has paid off handsomely, with Palmer becoming a star for Chelsea and breaking into the England setup, prompting him to label the move as ‘the best decision’ of his career.

Speaking in England’s Lions: A New Generation on Prime Video, Palmer said: “I was so adamant for ages that I wasn’t going. I’ve never moved out of Manchester.

I really didn’t want to go. (But) you get a bit disheartened at City – why am I not getting a chance to play? You just know when you’re ready to play.”

Palmer’s father, Jermaine, also added: “He thought he’d be at City all his life. He didn’t really want to leave. He wanted to go out on loan because he knew he wasn’t going to play much. But they refused him a loan. So he said he’d have to leave.”

Palmer ‘thankful’ for progress after reluctant City exit

Palmer had played for City’s academy since the age of eight and made his debut for the senior side in 2020 before going on to make 19 Premier League appearances for them, although only three of those were starts.

Despite scoring twice in City’s two games of the 2023/24 season, Palmer pushed for a loan move to gain first team experience, however he was told it would have to be a permanent exit if he wanted to leave.

The situation prompted a reluctant exit from his boyhood club for Palmer, with Chelsea swooping in to sign him late in the summer and offering him the pathway to stardom.

“I’m thankful,” Palmer said. “I have no idea what I’d do if I wasn’t a footballer. Actually zero idea. Growing up with around Wythenshawe, everyone does footy or drugs. There are two paths. I just love football so much. You don’t get there with no graft, do you?”