Cole Palmer Reveals Chelsea Transfer Struggles and Responds to Pep Guardiola Comment

Chelsea nearly let Cole Palmer, arguably the most exciting talent they've had since Eden Hazard, slip through their fingers.

The 22-year-old has been a revelation since joining the Blues from Manchester City for £40 million in 2023. In just 14 months, he has scored 32 goals in 57 appearances and emerged as one of the brightest stars in English football, if not in all of Europe.

It’s hard to believe now, but Palmer almost stayed at the Etihad. Speaking to GQ, he revealed that he hadn’t planned on leaving City, the club that had developed him since he was seven, shaping him from a promising youngster into a Premier League standout. He admitted he needed some persuasion to make the move to Stamford Bridge: "I got persuaded," he said.

Chelsea acted swiftly to secure Palmer on transfer deadline day, but as the hours wore on, even Palmer wasn’t sure the deal would go through. "I remember training at City on a Wednesday afternoon, and the news was 'they [Chelsea] are trying to agree a fee,'" he recalled.

"Every time the ball went out I’d ask the kit man or the doctor if they’ve agreed the fee yet." But negotiations dragged on, to the point where collapse was a genuine possibility. Ultimately however, a deal was agreed and Palmer was whisked down south for a medical.

"I didn’t really get a chance to see many people and say I’m going. I just had to get my stuff," he recalled, before explaining how he signed off from the City WhatsApp group in characteristically 'cold' fashion: "I messaged the group chat, said 'Thanks and everything. I’m gone.' That was it."

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Pep Guardiola later claimed that Cole Palmer had begged Manchester City to let him go, but the England international insists that wasn’t the case. "No – do you know what, I just wanted to go on loan," Palmer said, before explaining how Guardiola’s reluctance to play him, even after the departure of Riyad Mahrez, ultimately pushed him to seek a move.

"I just knew I wasn’t going to play as much as I wanted to," Palmer explained. "Even when I was going to England camps with younger age groups, I’d see players playing in the league every week. And you’re looking around thinking, 'I can play in the league.' When you’re not playing, it’s frustrating."

Palmer’s transfer raised some eyebrows, especially given Chelsea’s hefty £40 million investment in a player with just 19 Premier League appearances to his name. However, it didn’t take long for Palmer to prove Guardiola wrong. A week after scoring a crucial goal in a 4-1 win over Tottenham in November, Palmer netted a dramatic last-minute penalty against City in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.

He ended his debut season with Chelsea by scoring 22 Premier League goals and 25 in all competitions (27 if you include the two he scored for City) – the highest tally by a Chelsea player since Didier Drogba’s 37 in the 2009/10 season. His remarkable breakout campaign earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year award in May, capping off one of the most impressive debut seasons in recent memory.

Now, Palmer has carried that form into the 2024/25 season, scoring seven goals in his first 10 matches. "I knew I could do it," he said of his meteoric rise. "But for it to happen so fast… I surprised myself, yeah."